Everyday Life
by Silence Is Not Golden
Summary: "Jellal, we can conclude this game of ours. I have no desire to role-play in the first place but you seem genuinely drawn to it so I thought I would humor you. I mean, I like you just the way—" She trailed on, choking on her saliva. "I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you very well, Erza." #34 Role-play. Mystwalker
1. Another Day

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already. My first Fairy Tail fic. **

…

From the window, the King of Edolas has a full view of his beautiful kingdom. The Royal City underwent a reconstruction that took them years to accomplish but its finally built and back to its fullest glory. The magic-less world started off at a rocky start, but his home world had managed to stabilized itself. The citizens had adapted to their new world as well.

He sat back down on his chair and groaned at the pile of paperwork that had grown overnight. Back on Earthland, paperwork wasn't a mandatory part of his life. Here on the other hand…his exhausted hands missed Earthland. "Perhaps I should let Byro handle this again." Then he remembered a certain redheaded captain chewed him up for doing that exact deed he was thinking about. Dejectedly, he signed a few documents before decided that he needed a break. A king's hands are delicate after all. As soon as he touched the knob of the door, it flung open, pushing him back slightly.

The person that entered looked at him suspiciously. "Your majesty."

"Ah Captain Knightwalker. Don't you look splendid today?"

"Nice try, King. Set your ass— I mean return to your seat and sign everything." Dangerous brown eyes glared at the blue haired king. Fearing for his life, he did as what he was told and returned to his desk. She settled at the corner of room, leaning her back on the cold surface of wall. _Bodyguard or Prison Warden? I can't choose which one she is. _He joked wordlessly but her hawk like eyes caught his goofy smile and he couldn't imagine what she was thinking about with that lethal glare she was giving him. Jellal sighed. He wasn't even allowed to make jokes in his own mind.

"All work, no play." He muttered softly.

"What was that King?" He sighed again. Since he will be stuck in this damned room, and the good Captain is here, he should start his favorite pastime of the day. Now which one should he do?

Agitate her? He looked around for anything sharp and solid. It seemed safe enough, but then again, knowing how resourceful the Captain is, she can make anything as harmless as a piece of paper into a deadly weapon.

How about badgering her? Now that he thought about it, badger and agitate might be the same. _I suppose I'll do whatever comes in mind. _ He glanced at the cursed document in front of him, then his pen.

"Captain. May I ask for your assistance? I can't seem to understand what this means." The bait was casted but will she take it? She gazed warily at him, causing him to almost loose his feigned deadpan expression. "What do you want?" She asked rather harshly but then added, "Your majesty" as if that will lessen her harsh tone. "Captain, must you look at me like that. I am not your enemy. It has been four years but you are still quite cautious around me." She said nothing as she uncrossed her arm.

"I know that King, but you just—" The Captain bit her tongue. She almost slipped. The Captain had a conversation with Sugar Boy about her true feelings for their new king. He suggested that she stay her tongue, as it was an inappropriate emotion to feel towards the King of their kingdom. It might cloud her better judgment when it came to protecting him.

"I just what Captain?" The King prodded. Intrigued, he tried to push the rest of her words out of her.

"Nothing, King. Go back to signing those blasted papers." Her scowl returned. She crossed her arms once again.

"Erza." He said her name.

"King." The stubborn woman wasn't going to say anymore on the matter and to top it off, he forgot what he was going to do previously. This woman always knew how to distract him.

A knock was heard and Knightwalker immediately opened it, already sensing whom the person on the other side was. "Hughes." He came in with a mountain of papers for the King to sign. "Amazing isn't it Erza? These are from all the repairs Fairy Tail had done around the city. His lordship needs to look them over." Hughes stacked the papers on the crowded desk. "Thank you Captain Hughes." Even if the King wasn't really grateful. Oblivious to the awkward atmosphere of the room, Hughes went and patted Knightwalker on the shoulder. "Yo, Captain E, you should check out what the soldiers are doing in the courtyard. It was amazing. Amazing!"

"Not interested Hughes."

"I know Captain E. Do you want to know what Sugar Boy was doing? It was amazing."

"No." She said simply.

"Captain."

"Yes Hughes..."

"Do you want to hear something—"

"Captain Hughes, you are dismissed." The King ordered before the young Captain got into one of his rants again. Hughes looked disappointed that he couldn't tell the pair about his "amazing" day" but he left nonetheless. With the other Captain gone, he can now focus on the present one.

"Say what is on your mind Captain. You are a woman of few words, I know that much, but perhaps if you convey your words more clearly to me, we would be able to converse with each other better." He proposed, setting down his pen, lending his ears to her.

Should she say it? _Might as well. _"Very well...King. I…You…" She trailed on, searching for the right words to convey her feelings. He had never heard her stutter before.

"Yes?" The suspense was suffocating the King.

"…Piss me off." She eloquently said. He almost fell out of his chair.

"That's it Erza? I thought it was going to be a confession of your love for me." He teased, although her face remained its usual placid self. When she gave him one of her infamous stern glare, he realized that he had been staring at her face. "Yes Yes, I'll get back to signing." Silence once again surrounded them until Knightwalker spoke.

"That is for another day, your Majesty."

…

**End…Reviews and comments are appreciated. **

**Have a nice day :)**


	2. Hearing Things

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**Note: This isn't a continuation of the previous one-shot, Another Day, but it is on the same timeline, and this one-shot happened before the first one.  
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…

It was late. Too late. Jellal stifled a yawn and stretched his arms. He couldn't feel his hands anymore. Since he skipped out on at least three consecutive council meetings and made Captain Erza Knightwalker attend all three, she decided to pay him back with the only thing she knew best.

Paperwork.

Yes, paperwork, the bane of his existence.

Jumping through the window was a nice way out, if he didn't mind the 30 feet drop below him. _No big deal. That's not too high and the fresh air will do me good. _ His stomach suddenly grumbled. He was so preoccupied with all the documents that had kept mysteriously piling up throughout the day that he had forgotten to get some food in his belly and now it's evening. _King or not, I couldn't ask the cook to make me something this late. I suppose I'll make do. I wonder if paper tastes good?_

The King looked over at some report about Fairy Tail. It seemed as though the dependable guild had defended a trading caravan from being raided. Then, someone opened the door, without knocking. He only knew of one person who does that.

"My, my aren't we hard at work your Majesty. It brings me such joy to see such happiness in your eyes." Captain Knightwalker's tone oozed with sarcasm.

"Ah, Milady Captain. You grace me with your presence. Please, have a seat, entertain me for a bit." He sees her carefully balancing a tray full of food on one hand. "I am no jester, King." The choppy descent of the tray down to the table surface made it seemed as though she wanted to throw the tray onto his face instead. "Nor am I your servant, but those that were present in the dining hall earlier this evening had informed me that his Majesty was absent so here I am." The blue haired king gazed at the meal she had brought in. "I'm touched that you care so much about me." Her lips slightly twitched but said nothing.

It was curry. _It smells lovely but I wasn't aware that the castle cook prepared this sort of dish._

"Well are you going to eat it or will you be gawking at it the entire night?" She spat out venomously, but there was something else in her voice. It is as if she was waiting for something to happen.

He took the first bite and savored the distinct and exotic flavor. His eyes started to tear up. _HOT! But it's so…heavenly! _Feeling a bit of a masochist, he devoured the entire plate, despite its high level of intensity. Fortunately, there was a glass of milk waiting at the wing for him. "Wow, that was excellent." The Captain felt rather smug with his reaction. "Send the chef my regards." He then noticed her satisfied smile. He smirked mischievously. "Or am I speaking to her right now?" Knightwalker's lips dropped to a frown and she jumped back, horrified, like he was about to throw a bucket of scalding water at her direction. "As if I would use up my time to do something so meager and lowly. I have more important things to work on." She said with a straight face but inside…_Blast! I need to abscond from this place. _

"Of course." His face softened. "Thank you, Erza."

Not liking where this was headed, she bolted for the door. "I said I didn't make it. I suggest that his Majesty stop making such assumptions. I will take my leave. Good night, King." The Gods were cursing at her, yes that was it, since when she opened the door, Sugar Boy stood in front of it, oblivious to her shocked expression. "One of the maids said you were at the kitchen, Erza. Making food for the King, no less. I was told the reason was because the cook wasn't available anymore. You made him your specialty right? The Explosion!" He held up a basket of cut up pieces of bread. "I thought his Majesty would like some. Methinks curry is good with bread." She was cornered like a rat.

"Oh, did I hear correctly? Milady Captain cooked it? For her dashing king?" She couldn't handle the King's tantalizing tone. By this time, her body trembled from embarrassment and from anger. It took her whole will power not to assault the King and suffocate him with the bread Sugar Boy has in his hand. _Stop Knightwalker. He's the king. King...But no one would notice a small scratch on his handsome face…Wait, what? Handsome? _

"You were definitely hearing things!" She huffed out of the room, leaving the two men behind her. Sugar Boy stared at the retreating figure of the red headed Captain then looked at his King, and then at the bread.

"Did you leave some curry for me, my lord?"

…

**Drop a review when you have the time. Thanks and have a nice day.**


	3. Slipped

****Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima.****

****Thank you for all the kind reviews and suggestions!****

****Cameo Appearance(s): Sweet rolls****

…

__The Soldier Mess Hall…or for better words, a place where soldiers can get drunk all they want.__

"This is injustice!"

"You're, like, amazingly right, Sugar boy!" Hughes shouted angrily. He nearly tipped over the table. Sugar boy got on his feet and pumped up his fist. "We should rally the troops! How can this kingdom stand for this? How can our King stand for this?" It was rowdy in the mess hall, that much is clear, but the section that the captains sat on was getting out of control. "Yes, Captain, Sir!" The other soldiers followed with a battle cry.

"Ready the Legio—"

"Sugar Boy. Hughes." The men turned their heads. She didn't look pleased.

"Erza." The two shakily muttered. "Erza you must help us! Do you not think this is beyond tyranny? His Majesty mustn't do this." She sighed. __What are these idiots babbling about this time?__

"What did the King do, if I may ask?" Both Sugar Boy and Hughes recoiled in terror. How could she have not been informed about the dire emergency that encompassed their kingdom?

"Whoa, Erza! Why you ask? LIKE! WHOA! WHY YOU ASK?"

"Yes, Hughes. That's what I said." She crossed her arms and told herself that she will gain nothing from this idiot's death.

"The King! The King halted all trades from Dehalder! Do you know what that means?" Hughes brought out a world map and explained the whole situation, but as always, his words fell into deaf ears since Captain Knightwalker had already chosen, for the sake of her sanity, to ignore him. "Right, right. Get to the point, Hughes." She had known about the temporary cancellation of trading between the Royal City and the port city of Dehalder, but she didn't see any reason why it would matter so much to her soldiers and the captains.

"Erza! We import their famous sweet rolls from them! Sweet rolls, Erza! How can we live on?"

__Sweet...rolls? __"In that case…" The boys' faces lifted with happiness. They were elated that they have Knightwalker's support, or so they thought. "I don't care." Her last words just about shattered their hearts.

"Erza!" She could hear their desperate cry for help as she backtracked to where she came from. She should have known better than to waste her time visiting the mess hall. Whenever she goes there, she looses brain cells. __Tch, I lost two more. Wonderful.__ She exited through the large doors and entered the garden. From the distance, she could make out a familiar figure, sitting on a bench near the fountain garden. He was leaning down his head on opened hands, his elbows on his thighs****. ****"Your majesty?" She could sense the dark clouds looming over his blue-haired head. "Are you ill?" She kneeled down and placed a hand on his shoulder. She became anxious over his still, muted self and that vexatious feeling she liked to call, worrying, overcame her. There was never a day where the King didn't look for an opportunity to aggravate her, and succeeded in the end. It worried her that he wasn't using his "willful charms", to piss her off for once. __Hold on, that's what I'm worried about?__

"King?" She shook him twice.

"Erza, I feel weak." He looked pale too.

"Come, I shall take you to a healer."

"What have I done? It was the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life."

"What is, your majesty?" Her eyes widened. Now, she suddenly felt weak. __He is not referring to…__

"Dehalder, Erza. The sweet rolls, Erza. Can my people ever forgive me?" __As I thought. __Her fist trembled. She can handle only so much idiocy in one day. She steadied her breathing. "Your majesty, it's only temporary, isn't it? Dehalder couldn't maintain its trading activities due to the recent...disaster, and…I'm sure the people will be…fine." Her voice was strained. Why is she explaining this to him as if he was a child?

She could hear the small glass bauble, which kept her sanity in place, cracking. __Hurry out of here, Knightwalker. Before your hands slips and "accidently" strangle this fool.__

He lifted his head up and noticed just how close the Captain was to him. Her free hand had found its way onto his knee and she probably didn't even realized it. With his current position, his previous dilemma didn't seem all too important now. __Now's my chance. __"Captain." He started. She stared directly into his eyes. "Was milady planning to take advantage of her King in his time of need? How sly of you, Captain. Very well, I'll allow it." She analyzed the situation she placed herself in and wondered what she has ever done to deserve this. __On second thought, I've done plenty of things that merit some kind of punishment, but this?__ A thought surfaced.__Hmmm…I can work with this.__

"Oh, how kind of you to give me your permission, King." She wrapped an arm on his neck, and settled her knee between his parted legs. She leaned forward and his body automatically veered backwards. His heart stopped. __What's happening?__

Then, as fast as it happened, she was gone. Her arm wasn't coiled around his neck and his body was suddenly…flying? A splashing noise echoed throughout the empty garden, followed by an amused chuckle. "I apologize, your Majesty. My hand slipped." He sprung up to his feet and shivered from the impact of falling into the fountain. The King of Edolas was soaking wet.

He sneezed. "Erza!"

…

****Note: Dehalder is a place I made up.****

****Thanks and please review :)****


	4. A Fine Day

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**Warning: for slight cursing, innuendos, jesters and puppy dog faces.**

**Cameo Appearance(s): Lucy Ashley  
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…

_A perfect, and peaceful day at the Royal City town square…Edited: An almost, perfect, and peaceful day at the Royal City town square._

"I'm going to kill you bitch!"

"Well hello to you too, Lucy. I'm surprised you're not humping that boy toy of yours today." Lucy Ashley's face flushed into a shade of bright cherry. _Boy toy? Did she mean Natsu? _

"Humping? They're torturing techniques!"

"Hence the whip? I think I'm liking you a little bit more, Fairy girl." Lucy would give Gray and Natsu's arms to wipe off that damned smirk right off of Knightwalker's obnoxious face. "Amusing as always, but I cannot waste my precious time with you. Good day and wear protection will you? We can't have you spawning now, can we?" Knightwalker effortlessly dodged a gigantic rock that flew her way. _Where in Anima's name did she acquire such a rock? _

"Come back here dammit! We aren't finished!" But they were finished in the Captain's head, at least for today.

Knightwalker trekked back to the castle. She noticed an odd looking person, by the castle walls. He was covered, from head to toe, the gaudiest attire Erza had ever seen in her life and she thought Sugar Boy had terrible taste. The white cloak he was wearing concealed his face and the guards were completely oblivious to his presence. _Training will be more rigorous if they can't even sense an intruder that's biting them in the ass. _The intruder slinked away, undetected, from the guards. A suspicious character like him can't be ignored. She chased after him.

She followed the intruder to an area where various wild flowers grew throughout the seasons. She hid behind some obstruction nearby and watched him…gather flowers. _Flowers? I followed him…here…for flowers? _She wasted her time, again. She changed her mind when she overheard him speaking to himself. "What should I pick for her? Does she even like flowers? Ah, Arycianth. These will match the color of her hair." That voice, however muffled, is his voice. She marched over to his figure and grabbed him on the back.

"Your majesty."

"Ohohoho. No, I am not he." He lowered the tone of his voice and spoke in a strange accent. "I am just your lovely court jester, Mystogan. Ohohohoho!" She uncovered the veil that hid his face. "Oho…ho…ho…Captain Knightwalker, I didn't realize it was you." He flinched. _If she finds out about my daily excursions here, she is going to tie me up to my bedpost…and not the way I would prefer it. _"Your majesty, what are you doing here without an escort." Her voice was a mere shout, but he knew she wanted to say more.

"Peace, Erza. I'm just enjoying this fine day and since you're here, you can be my escort. Would you like to spend the day with me?" Her lips twitched, annoyed and somehow pleased that he asked. She flicked of that pleasant feeling away. _This is probably just another creative way to throw me off guard. _"No thank you, your Majesty. The only escorting I will do is to escort you back to the castle." He pouted, like a dog that was kicked to the curb. Fortunately, Captain Knightwalker was immune to pitiful faces. She dragged him by the ear.

"Captain, just a few minutes, then you can do away with me." She sighed in defeat. Maybe she wasn't entirely immune to such pitiful faces after all. "Very well, King. Five minutes." He tried to negotiate the time limit. " Five, King! Five minutes. Oh look, a minute passed, four more now."

He smiled and sat on the grass, basking on the brilliant sun's rays. He looked content and she couldn't keep her eyes away from him."Is there something on my face, Captain?" Why did her face feel warm? It couldn't be because she was blushing. _No, impossible. I am the First Captain of the Imperial Royal army regiment! I do not blush! _"Yes, a bug." She slapped him on the face, to solidify her alibi.

"I hope you got it, Captain." He weakly muttered from the ground. "I apologize. I acted without thinking." He rubbed his bruised cheek and smiled gently at her. "I don't mind if it's you doing the hitting, Captain. Although, I prefer that you hit on me, not literally hit me." He was smacked on his other cheek.

"Was that another bug, Captain?"

"Dirt, your Majesty."

He took the small scarlet flower, the very same flower that he had picked earlier, and tucked it behind her ear. "Beautiful, Erza." She could die from embarrassment. She looked away and breathed in. She grappled the hilt of her sword and fought with herself not to draw it. "Don't be embarrassed, Captain. No one is around. You can kiss me too if that's what you desire." He puckered his lips. She stuffed the flower in his mouth. "As if I ever would!"

Unbeknownst to the pair, two nosy Captains were eavesdropping on them.

"Like, whoa, Sugar Boy. Amazing. You were right!" Hughes clamored.

The armor-wearing captain laid out his palm. "Hmmm, pay up then, Hughes."

…

**Thanks and please review :) **


	5. Someday

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already. **

**Cameo Appearance(s): Knightwalker's Legion (who I lovingly refer to as Pocco XD)**

…

_The Legion Stable_

The Ebon Legion wagged his gigantic tail, knocking over a soldier who was starting to climb on a ladder onto the next level. "Watch what you're doing, soldier!" Captain Knightwalker berated the poor boy from where she stood. During his fall, he knocked his head on the wooden bench below. "Yes, ma'am. I apologize." He rubbed his head and resumed what he was doing before. _Why am I sorry? _He was relieved that he was the only one here besides the Captain. It saved him from the embarrassment and teasing from the other recruits.

"Leave. I am more than able to handle this on my own." The recruit merely bowed his head and left. _Tch, these new recruits, I swear. Its like they have two left feet. _Knightwalker brushed the soft fur of her winged friend with a very dangerous looking brush. It looked like it had the ability to take a head out if she really wanted to. Now, finished with the beast's body, she continued onto the wings. The brush was long enough to reach from her height, but the creature wasn't cooperating with her anymore. He roared. "Pocco, what the hell are you doing?" One gust from his enormous wings sent the Captain flying back. Her brow furrowed when she saw a reddish patch on the surface of the beast's wing. _He's injured. Why didn't I see that?_

Someone ran towards her. "Captain! Are you harmed?" Out of all the people she would expect around the Legion stables, his Majesty was not one of them. "Erza, here." She staggered slightly as he helped her to her feet.

"His Majesty shouldn't be in this kind of place."

"Neither should you, Milady." She grimaced. "I'm no lady, King." He cupped the back of her head. It was bleeding. "The Legion attacked you, Captain?" Knightwalker's stubbornness knew no bounds as she pushed him off, denying any assistance from him. "Just leave." She didn't feel like talking to him right now. Without somebody hold her in place, she stumbled back and leaned her body against a wooden pillar support. The world was suddenly spinning. "Leave. I can handle this on my own." The Legion cried out a painful roar. "He's just injured. I aggravated his wound and I'll…" Normally, a scratch like this wouldn't affect her but these past few days had been quite…unpleasant for her. Nightmares had plagued her dreams.

Her vision grew out of focus.

"Captain!"

…

Knightwalker pried open her heavy lids and was greeted by the blanched color of the infirmary room. A bandage was wrapped professionally around her wounded head. "Amazing, Erza! Like whoa, you okay?" Brown eyes shifted towards the direction of the voice. "Hughes? What happened?" He recapped the events that had happened the best he could to her.

"His Majesty brought me here?" She managed to sputter out.

"Yes, he looked amazingly worried about you. He like asked me to stay with you. Amazing, right?" Hughes' voice was too loud and too annoying to register in her head. "Right, amazing." She said, repeating his last words. A strange aroma wafted in her nostrils. It was enough to make her almost empty out the contents of her stomach. "Hmmm, I see Erza is awake. That is good news. Perhaps you should get some food in your system." Sugar Boy laid the tray of food on a nearby counter by her bedside. "No thank you, Sugar Boy. Not now." Hughes grabbed a fork and ate some of the items on the plate.

"Hmmm, Hughes, that's not yo-"

"Is she feeling better?" The King returned. Hughes abruptly stood up immediately upon his arrival, with a piece of potato hanging out of his mouth. He mumbled out, "I think so." Sugar Boy seized the ends of his white collared jacket and dragged him out. "Sugar Boy, what are you- I wasn't done eating!" The armor clad man closed the door behind him.

The King sat by the edge of the bed and brushed some lingering strands of hair away from her eyes. It's not everyday the pensive Captain Knightwalker could look so…vulnerable.

"Shall I spoon-feed you?" He teased, but it had no effect on her.

"Leave me, King." She averted all eye contact from him, but she could still feel his intent stare on her. "Erza, what goes inside that pretty head of yours?" Knightwalker's eyes were starting droop down. Lethargy was starting to overcome her and she tried to fight it, but it's winning. _Why does it feel like someone had drugged me?_

"Rest. You can tell me your worries later." To her chagrin, his voice soothed her spent body. Her breathing steadied and when he was sure that she was indeed in deep slumber, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"Someday, you will share your troubles with me, without my asking."

…

**Sugar Boy subtly supports this shipping XD**

**Drop a review when you have the time. Thanks and have a nice day.**


	6. Happy Birthday

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already.**

...

She stood guard, making sure that no intruder interrupted the celebration the castle staff had worked hard to prepare for his Majesty's birthday. Isolated from the gathering, she found herself leaning against one of the marble pillar that circled around the dance hall. The high chandelier that hung above the center of the hall glimmered brightly as it illuminated the entire area. Everyone was dressed to impressed as each and every aristocrat greeted the King with smiles and salutations. She was one of the few who didn't dressed up for the event as she simply wore her usual light armor. The Captain didn't care for parties anyway. Chocolate eyes scoured the ballroom floor and it stopped immediately when it found the King's form. Donning an elegant long black tunic, and his customary friendly smile, he led a noblesse woman in their dance. They swayed timely to the beat of the orchestra's music and never once did they falter.

"Hmmm, longing eyes, Erza. Unusual for you." Her head swiveled to the blonde haired man that went undetected by her until he made his presence known. "Tch, what I long for is to rid myself from this place, Sugar Boy. A congregation of aristocrats makes my stomach turn." Sugar Boy chuckled and served her a wine glass, half filled with the best wine the Kingdom can offer. She happily took it and chugged it down in one gulp. "It is his Majesty's day, Erza. I do wonder if you have greeted him yet." She stood up straight and turned her heel, blatantly ignoring her fellow Captain's comment. "Excuse me, Sugar Boy. Certainly the party will continue without my being here for a few minutes." Sugar Boy took her place as he watched her lithe form turn to the direction of the balcony. "Charming, as always."

…

"What is wrong milord? You're attention seems elsewhere." Jellal looked down at his dancing partner and flashed her a brilliant smile. "Ah, all is well. However, I am quite parched." Their dancing ceased. He bowed his head and kissed her hand. "If you will excuse me." The noblewoman did a small curtsy before changing her attention to another man willing to dance with her.

Stepping out of the dance floor, the King walked to the last place he saw Captain Knightwalker. Tragically, it was Sugar Boy that he stumbled upon instead. Before he can open his mouth, the armor-wearing Captain pointed towards the opposite direction from the party. "Erza excused herself and sauntered out the balcony for some fresh air." _Was my intended question that obvious? _"Thank you Sugar Boy." He moseyed his way to where Sugar Boy had pointed out and lo and behold, Knightwalker was indeed here.

The Captain leaned her upper body against the stone railing of the balcony, watching the starless sky of the city. He crept wordlessly behind her, hoping he would startle the imperturbable Captain Knightwalker and to his surprise, he managed an incredible feat. She growled. "Your Majesty…" Her frightening tone had no effect on him. "What are you doing here all alone, milady?" She remained silent and he expected that. He grinned playfully. "Would you like to dance?" He was expecting one of her predictable cold shoulders, but it was her turn to catch him off guard. "There's no music." She faced him. It took him a second before he could compose himself once again and come up with anything to say. "I'll hum us a song, Captain." He extended his hands to her. She placed her hands on his. He securely wrapped his other hand around her waist, bringing her closer to his chest.

They danced, but clumsily due to Knightwalker's inept footwork. The King laughed mirthfully. "Does milady not know how to dance?" He teased and earned a glare from her.

"Follow me."

"I am following you!" Frustration was piling up in her glass bauble and it amused him to no end. He kept witnessing new sides from this woman. "Captain, I mean look at me and not our feet. I will lead you." She jerked her head up. Her tensed body made it impossible for him to take the lead but soon she relaxed more and more with him.

"Captain, it's my birthday." He suddenly started.

"Yes, I am well aware." He tilted his head and began to slowly reduce the distance between them. She froze. "Then, may I ask a favor from you?" He cupped her cheek and brushed her lower lip with his thumb. Her heart stopped and instinctively, she spun her head away. "No." She shoved his chest and maneuvered herself out of his arms. "I can't." His hurt expression didn't escape her. "I'm sorry, King." He couldn't watch her leave.

Her timing now seemed so off but she should at least greet him.

"Happy birthday, Jellal."

...

**Drop a review when you have the time. Thanks and have a nice day.**


	7. A Spared Moment

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already.**

**Cameo Appearance(s): A drunken Mystogan  
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…

"Sugar Boy, is Captain Knightwalker around?" He searched the room for any sights of his redheaded Captain, but she was nowhere to be seen. It was only a nearly passed out Hughes, and an intoxicated Sugar Boy that welcomed him. "Milord!" The blonde armored Captain hiccupped. "Come, have a seat! Drink to your hearts content!" Sugar Boy jovially raised his goblet and paid no heed to the King's query. Jellal laughed nervously. He hadn't planned on drinking himself silly since his reason for coming to the Captains' lounge area was to discuss something with a certain female Captain.

"Ah, I will have to pass on that one."

"Just one drink!" Sugar Boy raised a gourd and poured it in an empty cup, up to the brim, mind you. Its sticky red substance spilled onto the rounded counter table. "While you wait for the Captain!" His words were slurred and his whole was face red from the deadly spirit. The King sighed in defeat. He must be loosing his mind if he's actually participating in this. He raised his index finger. "Alright, Sugar Boy. One drink. Just One." _I suppose one drink wouldn't hurt me._

…

Her brow twitched at the sight before her. She leaves for a moment and this is what she returns to. Hughes was sprawled on the ground, knocked out while Sugar Boy sat on one of the reclining chair, spinning himself like a top. Her fists clenched and unclenched. Her idiot Captains she expected this from, but from the King?

"Eelerza! Don't you…don't you look fine this morning!" The drunken blue haired King raised his glass, smiling gleefully at her. His movements swayed to the right as he attempted to approach her. "King, its 9:00 o'clock in the evening." She steadied his body "Is it?" He partly circled his arms around her neck and his liquor-contaminated breath invaded her nostrils. "Yes, King." She'll forgive his actions, just this once. She repositioned him so when the time comes, she could carry him with ease.

She eyed the two boozed up Captains. They're on their own, she thought. However, she needed to get his Majesty away from here, before anyone witnesses his foolish behavior. After all, he had his good reputation to protect. Knightwalker hooked up his arm onto her shoulders and half-carried his sluggish form. He moaned. "Come on, King. Work with me here." She cautiously peeked out the door, making sure no one was around. _He is much heavier than I anticipated. _Fortunately, the castle halls at night were relatively deserted, so she didn't have much to worry about.

They were finally nearing the King's chamber, but carrying this dead weight of a king was starting to take its toll on her. _Just a few more… _Erza suddenly overheard distant voices around the corner. A rush of adrenaline swam in her system and in panic, she lifted the King up on her back and hastily hid in the nearest closet she could find.

From inside the unlit closet, she could hear the familiar voices of Coco and Byro. Knightwalker was expecting one of those dangerous gossiping maids, hence her actions to sequester themselves from prying eyes. It was bad enough that there were already rumors about the King and her, but if they were found like this…she shivered at the thought. _Disaster. _Thankfully, it was just Byro and Coco, so all should be fine, but she might as well wait for the pair to pass on by. _Tch, there needn't be any reason to work yourself in a worry, Knightwalker. _

Their footsteps were fading away and now that they were gone, Knightwalker hoisted the King onto her back again, but she lost her balance and crashed back down. She heard his pained grunt as he hit his back on the wall behind him. "King…" She barred her teeth in frustration as another one of her attempts to lift him up failed. A set of colorful profanities escaped her lips. _What kind of awkward mess is this?_

"Erza." Hot breath caressed her neck. Perhaps it was just the small, crammed closet, or the strange, intimate atmosphere that surrounded them, but it was certainly getting...warmer in the room. It didn't help the fact that the compact closet barely left her any chance for coherent thought since she was pressed up against his hard frame, and was situated in between his legs while his head was draped on her shoulder.

"Get up." She said with indignation. Then, strong arms encircled her fit waist. Her breath hitched as she sat there motionlessly. She just hope that if a higher being does exist, that nobody opens the damn door that concealed them from curious onlookers. "King, let us try this agai-" But it was no use. Iron like arms trapped her in place. "Your Majesty, I am sure that you are indeed in control of your actions so if you don't mind, please remove your hands from where they are." He uttered something in her ear. "What was that, King?" Strands of his soft hair tickled her cheek as his head shifted. He was nuzzling her neck.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Captain?" His words slurred with mischief and confidence. The unexpected deep timbre of the King's voice made her heart skip a beat for reasons she couldn't quite comprehend. "King! Unhand me now!" Her tone hushed down to a whisper. "I will take you back to your quarters so…" What felt like something or rather someone nipping on her neck halted her words.

"King!"

"Erza, just spare a moment of your time…" He was beginning to drift off. "…And let me hold…" His breathing leveled out. "Your Majesty…King?" All alarms triggered off in her mind. "Jellal!"

How did her day end like this?

…

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	8. Surrender

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already.**

...

"What is this?" Knightwalker leaned against the wooden support of her seat. She found herself in the middle of the rowdy mess hall of the castle because she needed a place that could drown out her muddled thoughts. She looked back to yesterday; to a conversation she shouldn't have been eavesdropping on.

_~~ "What are you saying Byro? I am able to handle my personal affairs." Byro wheezed out a heavy a sigh. "I understand your Majesty. However, continuing the royal line should be his Majesty's top priority. Now that our kingdom has once again reached its stability, perhaps now is the time where you should be thinking of settling down and plan for your future, milord." _

_She could hear the King sighing. "Is that so? Then, all is solved, Byro. There's no need for your constant badgering. It will take awhile, but I assure you, I have found my Queen. She's stubborn and never listens to you. Her aloofness makes her unapproachable and cold, but I know she has a kind heart. As of now, she sees me as a King, the ruler of this kingdom, but I want her to see me as a man, Jellal. I've chosen her and she is my future."_

"_Ahh, you are talking about…Very well, milord." The stout, bald-headed man made a loud, sucking, gurgle before speaking again. "I suppose if it's her, then all I can do is wait for everything to come to place." ~~_

She tapped her fingers on the table. Something was gnawing on her stomach and there was this strange pressure in her chest that felt like someone was constantly stacking piles of unnecessary weight on her. "Maybe I had eaten something and now it is disagreeing with me." Surely the news that the King had already found his future Queen couldn't be the cause of this, but why did his words keep replaying in her mind like a broken record? At this rate, no amount of noise in the world could overpower the thoughts racing through her head.

_I want her to see me as a man, Jellal. _A vein popped on her forehead over the remembrance of his words. She smashed her fist against the table. Knightwalker immediately stood up when the table finally cracked from the incessant abusing it had been receiving. _A sudden burst of outrage, over this? What is going on, Knightwalker? _She eyed the soldiers murderously when they were caught staring at her. Soldiers in the area seemed to have been curiously looking at their Captain, before she threw one of her infamous glare towards their direction.

Several feet away, Sugar Boy and Hughes had been observing Captain Knightwalker for over two hours. Fortunately for them, they stayed undetected from the vigilant eyes of the Captain. "Sugar Boy, I'm no doctor, but we can clearly agree that talking to yourself is not normal, right? Am I right?" The blonde-haired man nodded in agreement. "Hmmm…" Hughes poked a fork in a sweet roll with disinterest. "Maybe we should go talk to her." He muttered in concern, without adding his usual "amazing" catchphrase. "That should be the case, shouldn't it Hughes, but let her be for now." The raven haired Captain sighed dejectedly. "I guess you're…Sugar Boy! She's not there anymore!"

…

"This will soon disappear." Knightwalker was so lost in her thoughts that she wasn't fully cognizant of her current surroundings. "Captain." A voice called out, but she was too preoccupied and lost her bearings. She bumped against something solid and warm. "Are you all right? I rarely see you absent-minded." She looked up to see the King looking at her worriedly. He placed a gentle hand on his Captain's shoulder. Politely, she said, "I'm fine your Majesty." She shoved his hand. "There is something that requires my attention. Excuse me." She managed to slither away from him, before he could begin his prodding. The King arched his brow in question.

"Hey, milord!" He heard Hughes' voice from the direction Knightwalker came from. "Have you seen Erza anywhere?" Hughes squatted down in front down his King, panting tiredly. He and Sugar Boy was out of breathe from chasing the redheaded Captain and they still haven't caught up with her. "What has happened to her?" The Captains shrugged. "As if we know." They said simultaneously. Knowing that he will not get any more information here, the King decided that the best solution is to ask her directly.

…

A week.

A week of dodging the headstrong King's perusals and inquisitions were starting to wear her down_. _"Captain!" Speaking of which, here he comes, again. She did an about-face and speed-walked forward, without looking back. "Erza!" His pleading voice gradually died out as the distance between them lessened. She entered her quarters and closed the door. "Why am I avoiding him?" Without a warning, a hand rammed against her door, barely missing her head by a few inches."Why indeed, Captain." A coarse, humorless voice emerged from behind. She spun around. _How did he arrive here before me? _

Jellal fenced her body on either side with his arms, and hovered above her. She was trapped between his taller frame and the door.

"King, what can I do for you?"

"Is there a reason as to why you are avoiding me, Captain?" Knightwalker wasn't used to this side of the King. His brows were scrunched down dangerously, his lips marred with a frown. He was, for better words, pissed off. "No reason." He released the locks that caged around her, but remained standing in his position. He bowed his head down. "Was there something I had done? You have never deliberately shied away from your King before, so was there a deed that left you truly angry with me?" Sadness disfigured his striking features. "Angry? I bear no anger towards you, King. There was a matter that bothered me, however, I have no right to snoop."

He blinked. "Snoop? On who?"

Shamelessly, I overheard an exchange you had with Byro, about your future." He blinked for a second time. "You heard that? OH…oh." _Snoop, huh? She has every right to snoop, considering it does pertain to her. _

"Since it's unavoidable…who is she? The next Queen, that is. I know every single acquaintance you have, but I haven't a clue as to the identity of your mystery woman. I've run the list dry, and it gnawed at me. Honestly, I was just too embarrassed to confront you on the matter. " He blinked the third time. "You haven't a clue?" His shoulders began to tremble. When he couldn't contain it any longer, he burst into laughter. She cocked her head to the side. "Why are you laughing?" He gravitated towards the flummoxed Captain and embraced her. "Your Majesty, this is highly inappropriate. You're in my quarters." Once his outburst subsided to a mere chuckle, he whispered, "I can only surrender to you."

"Pardon?"

He pulled away. "I will tell you another time. A proper time."

...

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	9. Stay

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already.**

**Thank you all for the reviews and faves! I'm glad people are enjoying this as much as I'm writing 'em!**

**I hope everyone's new year started off well!**

…

The King rubbed his throat and cleared it several times. He looked up at the opulent chandelier that hung above the long dining table and then to the blood red curtains of the windows that protected the room from the rays of the sun. In fact, his eyes wandered everywhere, but to the cursed plate that mocked him (in his mind). "Your Majesty, is the food not to your liking?" A maid asked, wondering why he wasn't responding to the warm, aromatic breakfast that the cook had prepared for the King. "Ah, no, but my appetite seems to be absent this morning." He sliced a piece of the omelet, and dug in half-heartedly. A pained grimaced appeared on his face when he swallowed. It felt almost like an eternity and the contents of his plate has yet to lessened. "You mustn't force yourself, if his Majesty's stomach isn't up to the task." The King muttered an apology and instructed her to notify the castle cook that the food was delicious. He reticently excused himself from the dining room, and decided to traveled down to the training hall, where his favorite female Captain might be. He imagined her terrorizing the soldiers who couldn't keep up with her and laughed silently.

He took a short cut and crossed into the garden, only to encounter Sugar Boy, who sat in a crisscross manner in front of the garden pond. In his hand was a fishing rod, and a diverse number of baits were scattered on the grass beside him. "Sugar Boy? Weren't you sick?" The armored Captain tugged on the rod. "You do realized that there are no fish present in there." Sugar Boy gave him a wide grin and set off a short snort. "Hmmm, yes. It is peaceful though, milord." Accepting the succinct response, the King was about to walk away and stepped one-foot forward, before the blonde haired Captain's voice stopped him. "If his Majesty is hunting down Erza, I saw her heading towards the Legion's Stables." He announced, without averting his eyes from the water. "Thank you, Sugar Boy."

…

Jellal massaged his throat for the umpteenth time that day. He coughed and felt a little groggy. It has been a bit chilly recently, so perhaps his body is just adjusting to it, he told himself.

The pathway was rather muddy today as a stream of murky water flowed from the direction of the stables, and he was grateful that he was wearing the proper footing attire. He trudged on cautiously as his boots flopped down onto the doughy ground.

"Hughes! Turn that off! Now!" The Legion Stables colossal doorway was partly opened and he could hear the familiar scream of Captain Knightwalker. He hurried and pushed the door opened, but a startling spray of water greeted him instead.

"Your Majesty!" Hughes recoiled his hand towards the right, spraying to the direction of Knightwalker. However, she managed to evade most of the water and charged towards the dimwitted man, snatching the hose away from him. "Like amazing, Erza. You look pretty mad." He moved backwards and tried to devise a way to escape from her wrath, but the tail of a Legion tripped him. "Really Hughes, what gave it away—Did you say, your Majesty?" She followed the idiot's finger and the angry gleam that burnt brightly in her eyes vanished. "King? What are you doing here?" For a second, the sharpness of her tone softened. Hughes handed him a towel and apologized sincerely. After that, he slowly backed away. Erza was distracted for the mean time, so he took this chance and scampered away.

"Your robes. You should get out of those now. Its rather cold outside and…" The King grinned playfully at her words. Her hands instantly reached over his hand when he began unbuttoning the buttons of his collar. "I don't mean here! You know what I mean. In your chambers, your Majesty." He chuckled and shrugged nonchalantly. "I seem to have forgotten where that is. There is a relapse in my memory. Could the Captain kindly assist me with my troubles?" He goaded. Amused, she was not, but the King wouldn't move if she didn't comply. _Since when was I a pushover?_

She walked out the ligneous door and made a gesture with her hands for him to move along. "Quickly." He lagged behind her. "Eager to get me out of my clothes, huh, Captain." She snarled. "Quiet."

…

Their leisurely pace irritated Knightwalker and she knew he could walk faster. _What is he up to now? _By the time of their arrival, his clothes would already be dry. "King, can you walk any slower?" A passing duo of maids curtly bowed to their superiors, before giggling away. They were clearly saying something about their King and his Captain. She bit down a growl. She paid no heed to the bumbling maids that spat out nonsense that didn't concern them. She didn't care…_I don't care._ Then, a sound of the King's harsh cough broke her thoughts. "That sounded horrible. Are you getting sick?" He dismissively waved his hand, and chortled. "Me, sick? Impossible! If you must know, your King, not one time…" He hacked out a cough, but still continued."…Has ever been ill. I pride myself in my impregnable immunity system." She could've sworn his nose just grew ten inches at his blatant boasting.

"Is that right? Well, does your throat feel like you want to dig in there and scratch it."

"Yes. How did you know?"

"And merely swallowing a glass of water becomes an arduous task." His lips formed a small "o". _How did she know all this? _"Does your head feel as though a ton of bricks is just sitting there, and you can't seem to shake it off." He nodded, agreeing to everything she had just mentioned. "You, dear King, are getting sick. You must have contracted the virus roaming around the castle." He wagged his finger, ignoring her list of warnings. "Simple-minded, Erza. I am not getting sick. Now, if you'll excuse me. I must change my attire." He said and entered his room.

…

_The next day…_

Jellal sneezed as he buried his entire body under the fortress of blankets of his toasty bed. He could hear the faint creak of his door opening and closing. "Are you sick now, King?" Humor trickled out of this person's tone. He sniffed and poked his head out of the comforter. "Erza. Hold me." That earned a weary sigh from her.

"I hate to say, I told you so."

"Don't. Please."

She settled down a tray that contained a bowl of creamy hot soup, a cup of hot honeyed lemon tea, and a small jar of honey on his bedside table. "A maid had informed me of your ailment and was carrying this. I took it off her hands." She pulled on a nearby chair and placed it near the bed. "Your little shower yesterday sealed your fate, didn't it?"

The Captain ordered him to eat since his stomach had been empty since yesterday. The King wondered how she could possibly know that, then recalled that she had kept at least one eye trained on him the day before. She waited patiently as the soup gradually petered out from the bowl. "The tea." He swallowed the drink, and it managed to slightly relax that throbbing feeling of his throat. "How's your throat?" She opened the humble lid of the jar and poured a small amount of honey into a spoon. "A bit better." A spoon was held out to his face. He paused. "Well? What are you waiting for?" His mouth took in the spoon and the warm, thick golden substance slid down his throat gingerly. "Your awfully being nice, Captain. Am I hallucinating?" Suddenly, the spoon was forcibly yanked out of his mouth. It nearly took out a column of his teeth. "My apologies. What I meant to say was, thank you."

He crashed back down on the fluffy sheets and watched her curiously. _She's still here. Not that I'm complaining. _"Is there anything else?" He rasped out. "No. I will leave then." His hand impulsively bolted for hers. "No!" The abrupt movement caused a sudden light-headiness and he sank back down on the bed. "Stay." Her hand was still in his.

"Fine. I will stay."

…

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	10. Heat

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already.**

**Number 10! All right! Enjoy...  
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…

Captain Knightwalker turned around for the second time. _Why does it feel like someone is following me?_ She stopped for a minute, and then carried on forward. It was late into the night and the castle halls shouldn't have anyone wandering around, except for the occasional night guards that roam the castle. The light of the lantern flickered in her hand and a cold draft from an opened window caused her to shiver. Knightwalker pulled the scarf on her neck a little higher and raised the hood of her winter coat. Winter had arrived and although there wasn't any snow, the freezing temperature was enough incentive to stay in the cozy sheets of a bed and never get up, but she couldn't do that. She had to get up and do something, anything to keep her blood pumping. The hallway diverged to the right and she took the turn, exiting the castle foyer and into a separate adjacent building that the soldiers used as a training area.

That feeling that she was being shadowed surfaced again, but she didn't turn around. Instead, she resumed her pace and walked inside, but kept the front doors slightly ajar, as an open invitation. She flipped a switch and at the center, the hanging light buzzed open. It was cordial in room and warm enough for her to peel off the outer layers that burdened her during the cold season. Walking towards the racks of training weapons, she unhooked one of the spears from the wall. The spear was a little lighter than she was used too, but it was workable. She had to be careful not break this one, if she didn't want to repeat what had happened last time. Knightwalker decided on a five-minute warm-up session, before she could get her actual exercises underway.

"That should do it." She swung at the air, pretending there was an imaginary opponent that faced her in combat. "Heh?" Her actions halted mid-swing and her eyes narrowed. A soft creak of the door invaded her senses and reflexively threw the spear into the wooden sliding doors. It pierced through its flimsy frame and whoever was behind it, released a low yelp. The weapon was pulled out and she slid it open. Enraged brown eyes glared down at the intruder. Eyes blinked with bewilderment. _What is he doing here?_

"King? Were you the one I've been sensing all this time?" She brutishly seized his collar, like a common gangster bullying her next unsuspected prey. "Captain Knightwalker, I can explain." The lock she had on him vanished, but she glowered at him dangerously. "Very well, but it better be good." He walked in with her. She crossed her arms and waited. The only sound that remained was the impatient tapping of a foot, courtesy of the female Captain. "You see…ma'am." The King politely started. "Sugar Boy had told me that you were going out at odd times during nightfall, and worry filled me. I thought…I simply jumped to conclusions."

Her brow arched up. "Sugar Boy, you say? He had the same inquiry and I merely informed him that I was training out here. He didn't state that to you?" He shook his head. "Really, King. If you wanted to know, asking would be better next time. I have no reason to hide this." The blue-haired King sighed in relief and smiled. "Yes, but my short adventure was a little fun." She scoffed. "Until your head almost got chopped off." A smile creased his lips from her comment.

Eventually, the minutes rolled by, and the absence of words left an awkward silence in the atmosphere. _Hmmm, what to do now. _Looking around the dimmed room, the assortments of weapons on the wall caught his attention. "Say, Captain. While we're at it…" He unclasped a dull training blade from its place."…Why don't we have a sparring match?"

"His Majesty has some knowledge of swordplay?"

"I am a man of many trades." The Captain declined his offer at first. "Do you fear of loosing to your King?" The taunt yielded no reaction from her. "One match. That is all I ask." She held up her pointer finger.

"One."

"Yes. One."

She leaned the spear against the wall and picked up a similar blade to his. "A sword, Captain?" A confident smirk was plastered on her face. "A handicap. I don't want to hurt you by accident." He laughed. "You will regret those words, milady."

They took their stance. Jellal made the first move as he advance right towards her. She blocked, but soon after, an incoming attack from the right appeared and she jumped backwards to evade it. _Fast. _Their swords wordlessly spoke for them, as they clashed together at a timely cadence. A drop of sweat dribbled down her eyes. Another attack came at her and a clang echoed in the room. He almost broke through her defenses. Then, for a brief moment, she lowered her guard and he saw this. "Tch." The tip of the blade caressed her neck, and it elicited a faint chuckle from her. "You got lucky, King." Heat was coursing through her. This was definitely warming her up.

"Two out of three." She declared.

"I thought only one match."

"I changed my mind. Two out of three."

He took note of her panting form; the redness of her cheeks, her disarrayed hair, and the rare smile that was skulking around at the corners of her mouth. _She's truly enjoying this. _"Alright. Who am I to say no to my lady's request?" He wiped his head with a hand and shed an extra layer of his garment, revealing a simple black V-neck tee. _This heat, its unbearable. _It didn't help that the dangerous gleam in her eyes stirred something inside of him. She charged forward and now that he was fully distracted by the Captain's appearance, he barely blocked the heavy strike. He parried, but she easily countered it. His sword flew out of his grasp. "You got lucky, Captain." He said, throwing her words back to her. It was a tie now and she was still raring to go. _I will win, King. _

She dropped her sword at the level of her waist. "King, are you well?" His hand covered his mouth and a tortured expression lingered on his handsome face. "You really are terrible, Captain." The statement puzzled her. "I am only a man, and you are making it very difficult to breathe." Still not comprehending his ramblings, she walked to his still body. She peered up closely at his face.

"What are you babbling about n—" The King reached for the back of her head as he covered her lips with his own. Her hands were against his chest and she wanted to push him away, but instead the hands that once aided her in battle, betrayed its master, as she clutched onto the damp material of his shirt. He coaxed her with his tongue and soon her lips parted unconsciously.

An array of emotions fluttered and the restraint that kept them at arms length was breaking. The heat was multiplying.

_What am I doing? This…what am I… _"Stop." She muttered, as their swollen lips brushed against each other. "This...this can't happen again." She painfully detached their flushed bodies apart, and left without saying anymore.

Jellal collapsed on the floor, breathlessly trying to regain his composure. _How am I going to sleep tonight?_

…

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	11. One Minute

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**Cameo appearance(s): Ultear and Meredy(post time-skip version)**

…

There was a sharp knock at the door. Knightwalker's shoulders tensed. "Captain Knightwalker, I am coming in." A slim, sable haired woman set a foot inside the temporary lodgings of Captain Erza Knightwalker. Her heeled shoes glided graceful against the carpeted floor as she approached the Captain. Beside her was a young, coral haired woman, who was carrying a rather large, silver box kit. She struggled slightly, as she maintained to tote it in her petite hands. "I am Ultear. His Majesty sent for me, to provide you with this dress, among other things. This lovely gown was a wise choice on his part, may I add." The woman, known as Ultear instructed the disinclined Knightwalker to straighten her back. She circled around her like a vulture and made a pleased sound for each glance she took in. Under her breath, she uttered, "Jellal has excellent taste." However, the observant Captain heard her whisper. _Who is_ _this woman?_

The woman slapped a small area of her back. "Captain, do keep your posture… Meredy, put that on the table." Ultear unlocked the lid of the box. It contained various styling brushes and makeup a woman (or a man) could ever need. "Since you are a natural, I will just add on a tad bit of makeup. That will suffice." The look of terror marred the Captain's face. "A moment, please."

"Now, now. Be a good little Captain and sit still."

…

"Amazing. Formal events like this is a little stuffy, don't you agree, Sugar Boy?" Hughes sipped a glass of champagne and monitored the nobles that mingled with one another as he and Sugar Boy waited by the grand staircase. The blonde man adjusted his bowtie and wished for the clanking and heaviness of his armor, instead of the crisp, black tuxedo that he donned at the moment. "Hmmm, agreed." They stayed in the background while their King interacted with everyone. The voluble and genial monarch, who wore a similar tux to them, but with a longer tailcoat, communed well with the high-ranking officials. The aristocratic and tame ambience that littered at every corner was something that their ruler was used to by now. However, with the Captains, they much prefer the bustle and tussle of their mess hall, drinking cups of stale ale and shouting at one another.

The Captains courtly greeted a passing chamberlain when they were acknowledged. When he left, the pair breathed again. "Hmmm, suffocating, indeed." Elation erupted within them when the King finally returned by their sides. "Is something amiss, Captains?" He asked. He was concerned with how taut their forms have become. A sympathetic smile emerged on his face when he realized what was wrong. His friends were out of their element. "Do not stress yourselves with this. It will soon be over." He gently patted their shoulders. Usually, their attendance weren't mandatory in these types of proceedings, but this time around, they were also invited, as the King's honored subjects. "Now, where is Captain Knightwalker? I wonder if she is cooperating with Ultear." His eyes glimpsed at the clock by the top of stairs. It is almost time for dinner party. "Erza? I'm sure she is putting up an amazing fight. Much like we did! Right, Sugar Boy?" He simply gave a nod to that.

The three were caught up in a light conversation until Hughes choked on his drink. "Hughes, what are you looki…" He stumbled out, "Er...za" Jellal's breath hitched when he followed the younger Captain's finger. At the crown of the staircase, was Knightwalker. The scarlet satin gown fell on her body perfectly, accentuating her feminine curves. Her hair was propped up stylishly at the back, revealing her slender neck. She journeyed down the stairs. It felt like she was descending down from a mountain, with the treacherous stiletto shoes Ultear forced her to wear. When she finally joined her boys, she glared at them. "It is you, Erza!" Hughes exclaimed. He needed her wont glare for confirmation. "Yes, Hughes."

The King tugged at his collar and soon, his composure returned to him. He offered his arm to her. Hesitant, initially, but before long, she linked her arms with his. "Do you see what that woman enforced upon me? These shoes aren't footwear, they are weapons." Her comment brought a chuckle out of him. "Nevertheless, you look absolute exquisite and…" He inched his mouth near her ears. "Delectable." His hot breath tickled her. "Shut up." She gently nudged his head away.

The pair walked casually in front, giving Sugar Boy some time to observe the duo. "Hmmm, did something happen between them?" He asked no one in particular. "Happen between—" Meredy grabbed Hughes' arm. "Come on, Captain Amazing." The shorter girl began dragging him to the dining area. "Whoa! What do you think you're doing, Pinky?" Sugar Boy shifted his head to the right. Ultear stood tall next to him. "Do escort a lady, if you please."

…

After the endless banquet, the group headed back to their respective rooms, and greeted each other good-bye. Well, except for the King and the female Captain. "Why are you following me, your Majesty?" She limped forward and tried to out-maneuver him, but with her shoes of death hindering her, it was impossible. Finally, she caved in and removed it. "I want to be certain that my lady arrive at her chambers, unscathed." Her stride grew faster, but they were evenly matched.

"Captain."

"King." Weary from the long night, she just wanted to take a bath and sleep. She clearly couldn't handle his antics right now. "Thank you and good night." Knightwalker opened her door, but a wedge between the doors prevented it from fully closing. She looked down. "King, your foot." He took a step towards the partially opened door. "Captain, may I come in?" Despite his bold question startling her, she remained engaged in their battle of opening/closing the door. Victory would've been hers if he didn't voice out, "I think someone is coming." Instinctively, she hauled him inside. Once her deed was realized, she cursed herself for it. "Your Majesty. You must leave. It is rather impertinent of you to be here at such a late hour."

"What do you mean by that? You pulled me in, therefore, I was invited." An innocent, dimpled smile appeared on his face. "Really? That is your reasoning." The shoes that nearly killed her tonight were thrown at his direction. "Captain. Just a minute, then I will leave." Although, she knew submitting to his "one minute" whim was as a safe a lion's den, she didn't have the strength to fight him off anymore. "A minute."

"Yes, just one minute." _Just a minute, of course, Captain._

Knightwalker bounced on the bed and massaged her sore feet. Then, she heard a click. A click that sounded like the door was being locked. She glanced up at the only perpetrator who could've done that. "King. I think your minute had passed." He laughed. "Just a minute, because you have done it again."

"Done what this time?" After she had said that, she recalled a previous engagement that they had a few weeks ago. "Your Majesty, it was declared that…" She searched for her words as he advanced closer and closer to her. "…that episode we had, would never occur again." Her back was now pressed against on the silken sheets. The bed softly protested at the added weight of two people. "You declared it? I don't seem to remember complying to your terms." He stroked her lips with his thumb and leaned forward.

…

**Can you believe that my friend called Erza Knightwalker, Ezra Skywalker. It made me rolf.  
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**Anyways, drop a review when you have the time. Thanks and have a nice day.**


	12. Storms: Beginning

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already.**

**Part I  
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…

A deluge of rain poured savagely from the heavens. The clap of thunder, the blaze of lightning, and torrent of daggers rippled through his being. _Where am I? _It was dark, desolate…and lonely. He tried to speak, but nothing would come out. An endless road stood in front of him, and he didn't know what waited for him beyond it. _Why am I here? _

Out of the blue, a firm, yet tender hand touched his frozen ones.

_Captain?_ Her crimson tresses flowed around her back like a fiery bonfire in the night. _Captain Knightwalker? _She pranced around him, barefooted. The fabric of her nightgown was thin, light, and practically see-through. However, unlike him, she remained dry and the rain didn't seem to affect her.

She leaned on him, encircling her arms around his neck, craning her mouth near his ears. The warmth of her lips teased his skin. It felt as if she was saying something and his hands ached to touch her, but a heavy, invisible chain shackled his hands to his side. _What? _Her mouth moved silently. _What are you saying? _He wanted to speak out, however, a plug sealed his voice box. "Wake up." She whispered, at first. _Wake up? _"Wake up!" The second time, her voice was more determined. Then, finally, it turned to annoyance.

The King's eyes opened. Locks of red hair curtained the side of his bed. "King." It was Knightwalker. She was stationed above the bunk bed of the temporary room they shared. "Are you awake?" Still somewhat drowsy, he tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness slapped him really hard. "Where are we?" He asked. His memory was still muddled from the dream he had. "A boat to the island of Iris. A conference and a treaty signing are taking place there. Any of this ringing a bell?" She briefed him on the current situation. "You've slept the entire morning. We're almost there." _The whole morning? _"I warned you not to drink. After all, his Majesty is a lightweight." He groaned at her insult. A reminder of his inability to hold his liquor wasn't necessary. "I hope I didn't make a fool of myself, Captain." That got a laugh from her. "No comment."

She hopped down from the top bed and glanced out the circular window of the ship. The southern island of Iris was just towards the distance. Iris' enigmatic, angular shaped buildings stuck out like a sore thumb. Several rail tracks that circled around the island like a roller-coaster reminded her of the Royal City's amusement park. To her, it made no sense to conduct an important meeting in theme park. Guessing her thoughts, he said, "Captain, it isn't a theme park. It just has an appearance of one." She scoffed. " So you remember, now?" He simply sighed tiredly as he rubbed his temples. "Were you having a nightmare? You were moaning in your sleeping." Her tone sounded concerned, but despite that, her expression remained blank.

_Nightmare? That's right. _He bolted up to his feet, and bombarded her with a flurry of unintelligible questions. How she managed to follow him remained an oddity. "What? Raining? Thunder? Frolicking?" Neither rain, nor thunder had collided with them during their travel. The sea was calm, peaceful even. She didn't even want to know what she was doing, "frolicking" in his dream.

More of his babble came out and a feeling of uneasiness began to crowd her. "You couldn't move? Should I call for a doctor?" Her shoulders were shook violently. "You're too cruel, Erza! What were you saying to me? I demand answers!" She didn't have a clue as to what he was prattling on about, but it was trying her patience. "Erza—" A finger on his parted lips interrupted his sentence. "Quiet." The blue haired monarch surveyed their closeness. Her palm was flat against his chest, their bodies nearly brushing against one another. "Cap—" Knightwalker pushed him back on the bed.

"Erza...huh?" She wheeled a cart of food by his feet. His eyes stared at the food, like it was his first time seeing it. "It's a bit cold now, but you shouldn't have overslept." The King's mouth gaped like a fish out of water. He was misled again! "What? Eat. We might be docking soon."

…

The sun was setting, but its spectacular view couldn't be appreciated, at least not by the obdurate Captain. Anger surged through her. "Do they realize they're keeping the King for this?" She stomped ahead of him and breathed. "King or no King, occurrences such as this, cannot be helped. The main witnesses for the signing will be delayed, so let's make the most of it, shall we?" They walked along the boardwalk near the shoreline and a balmy gust of wind blew their way. The area they were in was fairly silent, since it was away from the main attraction of the island.

"The temperate climate of this damn island is its only good feature. Its warmer here, than back home." He smiled tenderly. That was the first time he'd ever heard her refer to the Royal City as her home. "Well, will you look at that? A silver lining. There are advantages when traveling with your King." Her only reply was, "Tch."

Their conversation died, but the soothing quietness that stayed behind was welcoming.

"Captain."

"King." They spoke at the same time.

"You first." Their words were in synch once more.

She turned to him. "Stop it, King! What do you want?" He suppressed a laugh. "The dream. In your opinion, what can you gather from it?" The pair ceased their ambling. "You said I was frolicking? Are you sure it wasn't just Hughes in a wig." Jellal almost choked from her comment. "Erza! No, it was you. Definitely you!" She crossed her arms and contemplated on it. "I haven't a clue." She uttered. "You haven't a clue." The red headed woman growled from the way he mocked her words. "You were trying to impart something to me. It seemed important." The Captain smacked the back of his head. "A dream is a dream. Fretting over trivialities like dreams are a waste of time. Let's head back to the inn. If all goes well, we'll be out of here tomorrow."

_A dream is dream, is it? _If that was the case, why did it bother him so much?

…

**Storms: Part II coming soon...**

**Oh by the by, my updates might get slower because my classes are starting next week. I'll try to upload as much as I can, though.  
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**Drop a review when you have the time. Thanks and have a nice day.**


	13. Storms: End

****Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already.****

…

"This is just a shame, isn't Captain." The King smiled, sarcasm clear in his voice. They had returned from the dinner the inn had provided. He shut the door and sat by the edge of the bed. She glared at him. "Yes, a shame." During the middle of the day, signs of storms cloud loomed over the horizon. A bad sign to say the least, the island locals were warned to prepare for the worst and to stay indoors until further notice. By the evening, the ill-fated tempest had brewed in, with no indications of ever stopping. Basically, everyone, including the King and the Captain that were only here for the conference were now stranded until the storm passe by. "I suspect that this was the reason for the delays yesterday." Carefree as one can be, Jellal stretched his aching joints, paying no mind to the sullen atmosphere around his Captain. "Loosen up, Captain. Mother Nature is unpredictable, and we are safer in here." Knightwalker knew that, but that wasn't her problem. No, her dilemma was, now that they were stuck in here for another night, she had to spend one more agonizing night with him...alone. There was this familiar tension in the air and it was smothering her.

"Captain, I apologize that your privacy is somewhat lax throughout this ordeal, but if you would like, perhaps—" She waved her hand, brushing him off. "It doesn't matter. I'm only the King's guard aren't I?" Her reasoning troubled him. She wasn't just his guard. _You are more than that. _His mouth dried up. Why couldn't he say it? He'd been forward with her, with those times that he initiated their kisses, but there was a difference between the emotion of love and physical attraction. He feared that she only felt the latter. This fear…this dread, aroused his uncertainty.

She might've just been responding to the moment or to her body's innate need for copulation. Was he afraid to learn how she felt for him? He was...afraid? "Captain, you…where are you going?" A towel, and some articles of clothing hung on her arm. _She is going to take a bath?_ _Now? _Their accommodations came with a bathroom, full equipped for bathing, and she wanted to take advantage of it, like she did last night. "What? You can take one after me."

She reached for the knob of the bathroom, but a hand gently curled around her elbow. "Shall I join you?" He teased. Heat radiated from his body, and all she wanted to do was to lean into that warmth, but despite her body's wishes, there was a nagging voice that told her fraternizing with the King of the kingdom she served under was improper. In fact, this whole intimacy that has been going on between them was improper. "Your Majesty…" She elbowed his stomach with a free arm, and he coughed painfully from the sudden impact.

The door slammed on his face. The King placed his head on the door, bitterly laughing at himself. It hit him. His dream. It represented his inner turmoil streaming inside and the only one that could placate his storm was the woman on the other side of this door. _Since she will not act on her feelings, I will just have to. _

From the other side, she leaned her back against the door frame and closed her eyes. She forced back the whirlwind of emotions from invading her being any further. _This__ is nothing.__ It will wane. _She couldn't let anything else happen between. _Nothing else._ She took a deep breath. _Nothing else. _Knightwalker took another deep breath.

Her will might not be as strong as she would like it to be.

…

The windows were close and curtained off, but the deafening roar of the storm permeated through the walls. _A storm outside and a storm inside?_ _Just perfect._ Knightwalker had finished her bath and now she rested on the makeshift bed she had created with several blankets on the floor. She stared at the ceiling and wondered what was taking him so long in the bath. Then, all of the sudden, the off-key singing of the King penetrated her ears. She buried her face on a pillow. "Must he do that?" After a few more minutes, his terrible trilling ended.

"Are you asleep, Captain?" She sprung up to her feet, ready to yell at him that nobody in their right mind could sleep from his dying screeching, however, his appearance made her swallow her tongue. "You should take the bed tonight." Knightwalker's eyes raked over his muscled body. The only thing hiding his "assets" was a thin, yellow towel. Her reaction pleased his ego. A sly grin traced his lips.

The bath was truly cleansing since during it, after an internal argument or so, all voted that whether its lust or love, he'll take whatever he can from her...for now. Sooner or later, she'll have to fall for him, so there was no room for his doubt and fear to overcome his mind, otherwise, he would fail to win her over. He couldn't have that since this woman was already chosen to be his Queen.

No one else.

"Captain." Jellal casually shrugged his shoulders. "I seem to have misplaced my clothes. Assist me in my troubles, please." A pillow smacked his head. "They're in your bag! Get them yourself!" His towel slipped, but she maintained her focus on his face.

"You dropped something." _This man…he will be the death of me._

"Did I? Can you get it for me?" She smiled mockingly at him. "I can't seem to bend down." The Captain walked towards the playful monarch, never breaking eye contact with his taunting brown eyes. Once close enough, she placed a hand on his bare shoulder and balanced herself while her feet reached for his towel. "There you are." They were locked in a heated staring match. "Captain, you waiting for something?" He was throwing one of his mocking smiles at her way. "Put some clothes on." _Oh no. Keep your eyes forward. Do not look down. _She added, "At least the towel." Eventually, the poor towel was wrapped around his waist again.

"Anything else, Captain?"

"No, King. Nothing else." _Maintain your bearings, Knightwalker. _"Good night, King. Don't sleep with your hair wet." _That's right, good night. Idiot King. _"I won't." He pulled her in his arms. He cupped her cheek. "You will help with that." Their lips connected. Instantly, without even thinking, she buried her hands in his soft azure locks, drawing him closer.

Looks like he didn't need the towel after all.

...

**Does anybody watch Persona 4 animation? If not, check out episode** **15, around the middle of the episode. The main character, Yu Narukami, whose voice actor is the same as the VA(Daisuke Namikawa) for Mystogan/Jellal, said something along the lines of "The King's order** **is...sit on my lap." I laughed. It made me think of Mystogan! lol**

**Drop a review when you have the time. Thanks and have a nice day.**


	14. Not a Waste

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima **

**Cameo Appearance(s): Ultear**

**Note: Two months or so have passed.  
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…

"Hmmm, it smells wonderful in here." The sweet smell of flowers in the afternoon invigorated Sugar Boy. He inhaled deeply, relaxing against his chair while sipping a cup of tea. _Some music would_ _make this perfect. _Meanwhile, Hughes jumped into a huge pile of flower petals in the middle of Knightwalker's room. "Whoa! Amazing. Its like a swimming pool, only with flowers." He grabbed a handful of the petals and a flurry of flowers fluttered in the air. "Hey look! It's raining!" He sprinkled some on Erza's face, but she remained unfazed by it. Sugar Boy dropped a sugar cube in his tea, and took a rather loud sip before adding three more. "Make it rain!" Hughes yelled. His chorus of " Make it rain" was accompanied by the loud slurping of Sugar Boy.

_What is the meaning of this? _Her lips twitched. Her room. Her only respite from all the madness that surrounded her was decorated with an assortment of flowers. The ceiling, the bed, the floor, even her…weapon collection rack were teeming with flowers. _Flowers! _Knightwalker took a deep breath. "Sugar Boy. Hughes." They turned their attention to her. "Yo, Erza! Want to swim inside this amazing flower pool?" As always, ignorant of the menacing aura emanating from her, Hughes innocently threw some more petals at her face. Sugar Boy, also oblivious to her current mood, offered her some tea. "You should try this, Erza. It's delicious." _Of all the…_She grasp every inch of her sanity to stay with her just a little bit longer, but it was squirming. Slipping. Her clenched hands trembled. _Don't yell. You are at peace, Knightwalker. Peace. Peace. Tranquility. Yes. Good. _More flowers petals splashed her way. _Okay, that's all I needed. _

A flowerpot made direct contact with Hughes' face. "What are you idiots doing in my room? And why the hell are all these flowers here?" The blonde Captain's ears rang from her high-pitched screeching. "Erza, I did not know your voice can go that hi—" His head dodged to the right as the pot whizzed past his head and onto the wall behind him. "Erza, please. Calm—" Sugar Boy ducked again. "Erza, these flowers are from his Majesty." Her manic throwing ceased. "We were only supposed to deliver the flowers here, but we ended up staying. We wanted to see your reaction." He quickly added, "Also, the petals, we were supposed to scatter them on your bed, but Hughes got carried away. Sorry about that."

"The King?" She chucked the remaining pot over to the unconscious Hughes. "Yes." He brandished out a regal scroll, usually used for important announcements around the kingdom, and unrolled it. He cleared his throat and spoke in a very distinct manner. "Captain Knightwalker." Sugar Boy began reciting. "A day without you…" He held up his hand up in a dramatic pose. "…Is a like a day without breathing. Where art thou, my lady? I need you." Her mouth hung open, speechless. "End." The armored Captain clapped with admiration as if it was the most eloquent and romantic thing he has ever broadcasted. "Hmmm, his Majesty's words were beautiful." Tears were swelling up at the edges of his eyes. "I wasn't aware that his Majesty was courting you. Our little Erza is growing up, isn't she?" Knightwalker's face reddened slightly. "Shut it!" Grabbing the ends of Hughes' boots, she dragged his limp body out her door. Sugar Boy shook his head. That was another mess he had to clean up.

"Leave."

"But we weren't done with the flowers. We have more." He announced.

She pointed to the door. "Get out, Sugar Boy." And slammed the door at his face. The Captain scoured the catastrophe that is her room and sighed exhaustively. "Tch. Courting? Preposterous." Her words, however, did not mirror the unspoken happiness she felt. "I do not have time for this." Casting a glance at the lustrous vase on her bedside table, a lone scarlet flower stood in the vase's center. It was different from the rest, as it was not clumped in with all the other flowers. Whether it meant something or not, she couldn't take a guess, but she did know that, for what its worth, his flowers elated her. _Damn it! There it goes again. _Loathing this type of jubilation, she began to pace back and forth. As the clock ticked by, restlessness was starting to weigh her down. Her will finally crumbled and she stomped out of the room.

…

Knightwalker barged in his office without warning. The thought of someone else with him never crossed her mind. "Your Majesty…" By the edge of his desk, sat Ultear, the woman from the dinner party before. They were engaged in casual conversation before she interrupted it. "Pardon for my intrusion." The sable haired woman granted her an amicable smile. "Captain Knightwalker. Long time no see." She held up a hand. "Don't fret. I was just ready to depart." She glided past the Captain, but not before slapping her back and said, "Posture. Good day, Captain. Jellal." The door shut, leaving the pair alone. _Why was she here?_

"Ah, Captain. I can only surmise the reason why you are here. You received my flowers! I was busy in the morning so I placed Sugar Boy and Hughes to the task. Did they read you my poem? It took me the whole day to compose." _Poem? That was a poem? And the whole day? _Were her inner thoughts, but she didn't dare voice them out. So instead, she delivered her next chosen words with a straight face. "Yes, it was…" She paused. "Moving." The King smiled happily, unsuspecting the sarcasm in her remark.

"Excellent. Check." His pen moved, scribbling something on a paper. "What are you doing?" She briefly got a glimpse of the note before he covered it. He wagged his finger. "Captain, no peeking. This is a list that I must do for you. After all, I am pursuing you, am I not? It must be done properly." Sugar Boy's courting comment from earlier looped in her head and her mind got foggy once more. "List? Let me see." The King bounced up his seat when she advanced right towards him. "Captain, be a good lass and…" Her first snatching attempt failed, as her second one. The third, her hand missed by a few centimeters. Soon, she cornered him against the wall. Using his height as a sizable enough leverage, he raised his hand to the air, with the paper in tow. With her patience growing thin, she came up with the only solution to her problem. She punched him in the stomach, and claimed victory. "Ha…" Her brow twitched.

"Ha, indeed. Captain Knightwalker." She wanted to wipe that smile off of his face.

"What is this?" The paper read, "Made you look." She only glared at him. "A curious woman, you are." His handsome smile infuriated her. "I am not curious. I do not care."

"Of course,you don't." Knightwalker's lips parted, but a finger stopped her from speaking any further. "Before advising me that I am wasting my time, know that anything that pertains to you is no waste at all." He reached out and stroked her cheek gently.

Then, he locked his arm with hers. "Now onto bigger things. Are you busy tonight? Do you fancy a romantic dinner with me? Yes? Splendid." Jellal exclaimed, answering his own question.

"Tch." However, for reason, she didn't mind at all.

…

**: .Hey guys/gals, I got an idea. So usually, I would come up with the title chapter right after I've finished with the chapter, but maybe someone can give me a word(any word) or a short phrase (4 words or less) and I'll see if could turn it into a situation, involving these two of course. I thought it would be fun (it sounded fun in my head, at least.) and we'll go from there.**

**Lastly, I'll try to upload a new chapter every Wednesday or Friday (since I have no classes on these days). :  
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**All right, that's all I got to say (or write XD). ****Drop a review when you have the time. Thanks and have a nice day.**


	15. Preference

****Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already.****

**Thanks to fairytailfan, Yuki, lil'chrome-chan and Burned Down for the word contribution. It will be put to good use. (All I can give are some cyber cookies with your choice of topping XD)**

…

_King's snooze room…office _

Captain Erza Knightwalker gazed at her King with concern. There were times when his company was somewhat pleasant, and other times, where she had to control herself from suffocating him. There were also on certain occasions where discerning the monarch's strange quirks were just too time consuming and not to mention dangerous for the limited patience she has. Unfortunately for her, today was one those certain occasions.

She reclined back against the seat and crossed her legs. "King. I know the outcome of my inquiry might not bode so well for me but I must know why you are doing that." He made a low 'hmmm,' sound and nodded in approval. His eyes lingered on a small, rounded hand mirror that he held up to his face. "Ah." With his free hand, he made a motioning gesture around his chin, as if he was petting a…beard. "Hello?" When her voice elicited no reaction from him, she scoured around through the various items on his mahogany desk for anything to throw at him. Settling for a black pen, she chucked it towards his head. He blinked in wonder, before setting the mirror down. "Captain Knightwalker. When did you come in?" She explained that she was here to hand over some documents needed to be reviewed by his lordship. "More paperwork. I see." He sounded distracted.

"Yes, paperwork…" She drawled out. The man's attention was elsewhere once again. "King?"

"Captain, I am man right?" He spoke in a hushed tone. _You will be a dead man soon if this keeps up. _"Yes, your Majesty. There is a possibility that you are a human male." The monarch's face sank in disappointment. _Is he sad because he's a man? Hold on…what? _"Do you see anything missing from my face? Go ahead, Captain. Take your time." _Missing? _She examined him. His usual dimpled smile was replaced by a frown, and his brightly lit eyes were a dull gray. _Hmmm…no. Nothing out of the ordinary. _"I yield." He slammed both hands on the desk and stood up, startling her. "Captain! How am old am I?" The desperation in his voice troubled her. "Is his Majesty inebriated?" He pleaded, "Answer the question!"

_He is about my age…I think. 24…25…Do I not know how old I am? _Considering the definite answer wasn't forthcoming, she decided with, "Mid- twenties?" He nodded. "That's right! I'm in my twenties" His voice cracked. "…And you know what I don't have!" Knightwalker waited for the King to finish his outburst. "Your mind?" _I swear if something ridiculous, one of us is not leaving this room._ "No! A beard, Captain! A beard! I don't even have a moustache! Not even goatee!" A _Beard?… _Her lips twitched. The Captain's inner thoughts now would make even the toughest sailor blush. "The old geezers from the meetings are always playing with their beards, pretending like they're listening to each other. I want the ability to mime that out, without the listening part, of course." He was doing it again, the beard petting gesture. He rubbed an area below his chin, and it was smooth.

"Isn't rather impolite to call the ambassadors, geezers, your Majesty." The King turned his head like a petulant child. "Well, maybe they shouldn't call me King Tot, then!" He spat venomously. Now she understood. _That's actually funny. _She jailed in her guffaws. In between her hysterics, while still maintain her sense of decorum, she managed to ask, "Did they truly dubbed you as, King Tot?" He growled. "Yes, indeed they do! The old farts, with the exception of Lady Ul and Ambassador Bob, all call me King Tot, suckling duckling. I could go on. I have you to know that I have past the age of puberty."

_Don't laugh, Knightwalker. It is obvious that this is causing him great distress. You are not helping if you...just laugh at his face. _"I'm sure…they meant it in jest." The dam was breaking until finally she erupted into a gale of laughter. "Erza, it isn't funny." Her hysterics grew louder. "Stop laughing. It is not funny. Stop. Please." _I can't. _"Stop." His foul mood eased gradually because for starters, this is the first time he had ever seen her let loose and just laugh in his company, even if it was at the cost of his Kingly pride. Jellal smiled. Her laughing fit was quite infectious. "Okay, Captain. You can stop now." She regulated her breathing until her fits eventually died down. "I apologize. That was disrespectful of me." He pouted his lips. "Try saying that without giggling."

"I am apologetic, aren't I?" Her jovial outburst resulted into one those rare smiles she hardly displayed around people. He sighed in defeat. "I suppose I cannot object if it's you."

"How come this is the first I've heard of this." The monarch's temper soured to a certain extent. "Because their teasing would never occur when you accompany me. I swear, there are times when they treat me like a child." Knightwalker smirked. "You shouldn't take it to heart, King." She listened to him mumble out, "I don't" but it wasn't convincing.

"If it's any consolation, I heard that some women prefer their men clean-shaven." He sat up straight. This certainly piqued his interest. "Care to elaborate on that, Captain?"

"That is what I have heard. It is just a preference for some. I am not insinuating anything." He lightly chuckled. "Of course, you aren't." Perhaps, he shouldn't be too eager to grow a full set of beard, lest he lose the attention of a certain female Captain.

…

**In real life, it might be rude to call your leader names like that, but it never stops people. XD**

**My next update might be on a very late Wednesday or Friday night.  
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****Drop a review when you have the time. Thanks and have a nice day.****


	16. Scars

**Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**Warning: Mention of death and murders towards the end-ish. I tried to keep it as light as possible.**

…

Knightwalker heard a light tapping on her door. _Could that be… _She growled. The prospect of getting up from the solace frame of her mattress peeved her so she ignored it. After several minutes, the knocking turned into an upbeat rhythm that relentlessly pounded on the door. The redhead finally rose from the comfort of her bed and opened the door.

It was the King.

"Hello, Captain Knightwalker." His eyes wandered on her skimp clad figure and rubbed his throat. "Your Majesty, are you all right?" He merely nodded, speechless at the moment. "It's late at night and I am trying to get some rest, so please return to your chambers." He pursed his bottom lip forward sullenly. "I can't sleep." The Captain could just predict what will happen next. This has been transpiring for the past couple of weeks, and she had a feeling that his "insomnia" was just one of his schemes. He slept fine in her opinion. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips, but nonetheless, granted him access to her quarters. The King jumped to her side of the bed and soon after turning the lights off, she followed.

"Stay on your side, understood?" She warned and flipped to her side, facing opposite from him. "Understood." Once settling in the covers, she heard some rustling and movement from the other occupant of the bed. Knightwalker felt an arm coil around her waist. He buried his face into her silky scarlet tresses and inhaled deeply. A content smiled creased his lips.

"Erza."

"What?"

"Tell me story." Like a child, he spoke in a carefree manner. "How about an event from your past." Her body went rigid. "I don't have any stories to divulge since most of them aren't pleasant." And it was the truth. Her "stories", the scars of her past, wasn't something she could simply narrate as a doting fairy tale, because they were anything but one. Sensing her discomfort, he tightened his hold on her. "Fine." It was quiet again and they remained cuddled against one another, each listening to the rhythmic beating of their hearts. But sleep was eluded their consciousness and instead, an awkward atmosphere mocked the pair, riling them wide-awake.

Wanting to fill the silence, Jellal spoke first. "Captain, how about your first meeting with Sugar Boy and Hughes. You three are quite a motley crew and surely your meeting wasn't too gruesome." She was quiet and with her back against him, he thought she had dozed off. "Why would that information interest you?" Knightwalker asked. He chuckled and the soft tremors that encased his hard form had a perplexing and yet, soothing effect on her own tired body. "Everything about you interests me. So how did you three meet?"

The redheaded Captain spun her body so that she was facing him. "Well, if you must know, for Hughes, I nearly hacked off his hand for attempting to pickpocket me. He was a common thief back then, but I saw something in him. If one can describe that something, it was a kind determination of some sort. He's still an idiot though, albeit a sufficient idiot. Don't tell him I said he's sufficient." Her last remark induced an affectionate grin on his lips. "Sugar Boy, what about him?" Knightwalker chose her words carefully.

"Sugar Boy." She began. "He was a mere foot soldier when he found me as a child, straddling over the corpses of my village's murderers." His breath hitched and in the dark, he gently reached for her mouth. "Erza…You don't have to press on." She nudged his hand away. "I followed those brigands and even though I was aware that they were twice my size, I proceeded. During nightfall, when they laid camp near the wreckage of my village, I waited until they fell asleep."

"I slit their throats with my dead father's knife and while confusion surrounded them, I carried on, my body moving on its own. All the while, the only thing I could hear were the pleading voice of my mother as she hid me, followed by her anguished screams, and then the…" Knightwalker's voice cracked. "And the…" He wrapped his arms around her. "No more, Erza." She evened her breath. More than a decade has past and the memories that were buried in the inner depths of her mind had resurfaced. She clenched her eyes close, but no tears would flow and her eyes were dry as the rainless desert.

"You asked, so I answered." She uttered breathlessly.

"Forgive me." Anger encroached his very being. He was mad at himself for bringing it up. _Stupid, stupid. _"I'm sorry."

"You already said that." The King couldn't see her, but despite that, he could envision her blank expression, riddled with the pain in her eyes. "It doesn't matter. Past is past. However, I did tell you that my stories weren't pleasant." He placed his forehead on hers.

"Erza." His sweet breath teased her skin. "Jellal." She pressed her lips on his, and he gladly allowed her to lead in their dance.

…

**I have a feeling I might not be able to update next Wednesday, but since next week is the week of Valentine's day…just keep a look out for an update. I might upload something. **

**Drop a review when you have the time. Thanks and have a nice day. XD**


	17. His Jealousy

******Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already.******

**I rushed this...and sorry, this isn't a late Valentine's day special. It's just a regular update. And sorry for those who received a double notification...I re-uploaded this because ff was acting a wee bit crazy...  
><strong>

**Cameo Appearance(s): My OC, Maes**

…

"Hey, Erza. Help me out, will you?" pleaded Hughes and knelt on the ground. The five-year-old boy next to him mimicked his actions. "Look Hughes, if I don't have any patience when it comes to you, what makes you think I'll have any patience around…mini you." He latched on her leg, while the little boy latched onto the other. "He's my nephew, Erza and I just gotta grab something really quick. Please, you don't even have to interact with Maes, just watch him. Gimme five minutes. You can take him to the garden." The trio was starting to attract curious onlookers. She growled. _This is embarrassing._

"Fine, you better be back in five minutes." The taller Captain gave her an appreciative hug, but she recoiled in disgust. Has she mentioned she disliked friendly hugs?

"Go. Now." Hughes ran like a mad man to his errand.

"Amazing." Maes uttered his uncle's catchphrase. Mini Hughes stared at her with bugged out eyes, as if he was amazed to see Knightwalker. "You, little person. Come with me." Maes eagerly followed closely behind and placed his hands inside his corduroy jumper. When they arrived, he immediately ran towards the fountain near the center of the garden. Mini Hughes dipped his tiny fingers in the cool water and he giggled. Knightwalker observed the lad attentively. She has never seen a small child up close before. The kid was playing with the water, but he was enjoying himself, regardless. Can something so trivial be that entertaining? _Children. What simple creatures._

"Nooo!" The boy splashed his hand onto the shallow water, pretending that it was a Legion crash landing into the ocean. "You can make it!" _He's just as insane as Hughes._ "Little person, what are you doing?" Maes coughed a roar, however, he ended up gurgling instead. "What are you doing, Elra?"

"Erza." She corrected.

"Mezra."

"Erza."

"Bezera."

"E- RU-ZA! Understand, little person?" The child bursts into a fit of laughter. She realized that the boy was just leading her on. Now, she was pissed.

Then, Knightwalker's eyes stalked the boy's movements when he skipped to a flowerbed. He knelt down, picked a flower, and timidly handed it to the Captain. "Sowwie, E-ru-za." She sighed and wordlessly accepted it. Fine, she had to admit. The kid was a little…adorable, despite him being related to Hughes by blood.

The King emerged from the large doors. When his eyes connected to the figure of Maes giving his woman a flower, his lips twitched. Given the fact that she had also accepted the flower was enough to rile him up. He marched up to them. "Hello, Captain. Young man." Maes babbled something that sounded like, "Your Majesty."

"King? Is something the matter?" She eyed his furrowed brow and his frown. Was he upset about something? "Young man, do you know whose woman you're giving a flower to?" The King hissed. The tot tilted his head with his mouth wide open. Maes pointed to his rounded, baby face. "Mine?" Jellal's head was about to explode. "I claimed her first!" He hovered above the boy. Knightwalker smacked her palm on her forehead. Was he really arguing over her with a small child? Feeling jealousy just because a child had given her a flower was completely absurd. He was a grown man that rules over this country and he was wasting his time feuding with a child who can barely tie his shoes. A smarting headache was starting to claw at her brain. _Is the five minutes over yet? _

"Hey, Erza." Hughes returned with a bag of goodies in one hand. "Hey, Your Majesty! Amazing! Thanks for taking care of Maes." The lad sprinted to his uncle and hugged his side. "Thanks again, Erza." Maes waved goodbye to her. "Bwai bwai [bye bye] E-ru-za!"

"Bye." They left and Erza can only breath a sigh of relief. She was glad that was over.

"Erza."

"What." He was pouting, causing her to smack him on the head. "Really, is there something loose in your brain? He's a little boy." He remained unsatisfied. "You accepted his flower, but not mine." He whined. His pride was hurt. His jealousy rooted from something idiotic, as expected of the strange monarch. Knightwalker shook her head. The King was acting like a little boy and she has never seen this childish side of his before. Why did it amused her?

She forced back a smile. "Very well. Get me some flowers and I'll go ahead and accept them. Will that appease you?" His bright smile bounced back on his face. "I'll buy you the whole stall!" She had a slight inclination that he was going to say that. The King retreated back inside the castle, no doubt heading towards the market to buy her flowers. Knightwalker's eyes widened. Was he about to go to the market area without any guards in tow? Did he forget his royal position?

"King? Don't go by yourself!"

…

**Also, when you guys have the time, check out my new one-shot, What's the Rush?[coupling: Jellal/Erza S. The earthland versions...I know XD], if you haven't already. Tell me what you think.** **And no, this is not me self-pro****moting myself XD**

****Anyways, drop a review when you have the time. Thanks and have a nice day.**** **XD**


	18. What?

******Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already.******

**This was rushed again, and I admit... this is a silly chapter so forgive me XD  
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…

Sugar Boy waved his hand close to the dazed King's face. "Hmmm, such a content expression you have there, your Majesty." The armored Captain received a heavy sigh as a reply. "I have brought a stack of documents to review, King Jellal. Does that not bother you?" Again, the King only smiled from ear to ear. Usually, Sugar Boy would notice a shudder of terror at the mere mention of document to his Majesty. "Sugar Boy, do you want to hear about my morning?"

"Hmmm?" Was Sugar Boy supposed to answer back with a yes? "Su-" Jellal intruded on his words. "Guess what Captain Knightwalker did during breakfast." _Breakfast, he says. _The blonde Captain wasn't aware of their meal arrangements. From what he could gather, he knew the first Captain enjoyed her meals in solitude. Her reason being was that, and he quotes, "Stupidity kills my appetite." He bobbed his head. _They are progressing quite well. _

Jellal scooted at the edge of his seat, shoulders cocked, and eagerly waited for his Captain to say, "Yes, what happened, your Majesty?"

"Yes, what happened, your Majesty?"

"I'm glad you ask, Sugar Boy. " Like a jubilant schoolgirl [or in his case schoolboy] gossiping about her [his?] latest crush, he continued, "You see…" He paused. Sugar Boy kept an emotionless front, and understandingly waited for his King to end his sentence. "Captain Knightwalker smiled at me." Sugar Boy raised his eyebrows, mimicking someone who was surprised to hear such shocking news.

"That's not all, guess what she said next."

"Do not keep me in suspense, your Majesty." With that said, the King blurted, "She said, pass me the butter." Sugar Boy tilted his head to the side. Did that register correctly in his ears? A "what?" escaped the blonde Captain's lips. An unbreakable, quiet air accumulated in the room. Only the door opening, moments later, sliced through that silence.

Knightwalker stared to and fro at the two men and blinked. "Am I interrupting?" The awkwardness she chance upon almost made her turn her heel and leave them to their businesses. Jellal waved at her and his dopey grin returned. She automatically waved back.

Sugar Boy nudged her arm. "Quick, Erza. Smile at his Majesty and utter, I smell cheese." Knightwalker did a double take. "What?"

"Exactly what I said. What, your Majesty?" Sugar Boy exclaimed. Then, seeing the confusion on his friend's face, he briefed Knightwalker on the details of conversation. She barked a light chuckle. "Breakfast? Hold, I smiled and said, pass me the butter? When was this?" The King jumped from his seat, frowning angrily at the Captain.

"This morning, Captain!" He gritted his teeth. How does a person forget the events that took place a few hours ago? "Erza!" He whined like a small child. "It must have been the other Erza because I do not…" She trailed on. The event was somewhat swimming back into her memory bank. "Did you ask if I wanted the jelly?"

"Yes!"

"Oh. That was today? I had forgotten." His face sank. There was a slight cracking sound where his heart was. _She had forgotten. She had forgotten. She had forgotten. She had forgotten. She had forgotten. _Those three simple words echoed in his head like a cursed mantra. _She had forgotten. _"King, are you okay?"

"Hmmm." Sugar Boy stood in the background, observing the pair's interaction with each other.

"You had forgotten." Knightwalker sighed. She didn't think she said anything objectionable, but he was upset, nonetheless. If only the citizens of Edolas could see their gallant king now. "Okay. Let's have dinner tonight. We'll see if I smile and ask you to pass me the sauce. How's that?" Taking his gaped mouth and stumped demeanor as a sign of agreement, she muttered her goodbyes to her idiot King and fellow Captain and left. Jellal gawked at the closed door.

"What?" Disbelief overtook him.

Sugar Boy patted the King's shoulder. "I believe that you were just invited out for dinner."

…

**Say what?**

**oh some asked if I got Maes' name [the kid from the previous chapter] from fma and yes I did...Maes Hughes XD**

****Anyways, drop a review when you have the time. Thanks and have a nice day.****


	19. Magic

********Disclaimer: All characters mentioned below belong to Hiro Mashima but I am sure everybody knew that already.********

**A quick and short update. The next chapter will be longer ;)  
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…

"Where are you taking me?" Piles of leaves and dust scattered around their feet as they made their way into the deeper regions of the woods. Several woodland animals scurried away as the two human intruders trudged into their domain. It was a dark, moonless night and nothing but the light of a small lantern illuminated their path.

"King, what are you schemi-" Knightwalker stumbled on a loose rock. The larger hands that gripped hers tightened, balancing her footing."Shh." This was the fourth time he had shushed her. "We are almost there." _Almost where, exactly? _

True to his word, the pair arrived at a large clearing. A lake stood in its center. The calmness of the tenebrous water almost seemed eerie, unnatural even. The location was at all not familiar to Knightwalker and it felt as though she wasn't in Edolas anymore. _Where are we? _There was a small-scaled wooden dock at the edge of the water. A boat was shored nearby. "I hope you don't plan on swimming." Jellal chuckled. "Are you insane? I can't swim." He led her to the boat. It swayed a bit as the two settled inside the compact vessel.

He jutted his index finger directly at her face. "Close your eyes." Her glare went unnoticed by the smiling monarch. "No."

"Do you trust me?" At first, she remained silent. Not because she couldn't answer his query, but because she almost answered without any hesitation. "Captain?" It was hard for her to trust and yet…

_Tch, it's just a bloody boat ride. _

"Fine, fine." She sealed her eyes shut. He smoothly paddled around the lake before closing in to its center. He beamed when the phenomenon he intended to reveal to Erza began. "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yes."

Her eyes widened in amazement. All around them were thousands of tiny yellow orbs, resembling the light of a firefly. The light orbs were emerging from the lake and some hovered above the surface for a split second while the others danced higher in the air. This lasted for several minutes, until the lights started to flicker, like an almost burnt out light bulb. Jellal took up the oars once again and guided the vessel to all the corners of the lake, and as this happened, the orbs surfaced once more as the boat swam around the water.

"Is it magic?" Knightwalker asked. "Unlikely. However, it is quite magical, isn't it?" She reached over to one of the spherical lights and it vanished at the sudden touch. "It occurs when a disturbance is place upon the lake. The effect is at its finest during the night, as you can tell." She agreed.

He circled the boat a few more times and while a halo of silence enveloped them, it was comfortable. The boat stopped.

"Thank you, Jellal." Knightwalker used his given name. A jolt of euphoria filled his core. "Shall we head back…Erza?"

"Let us stay for a while longer."

…

**Anyways, that's it for now. Thanks for reading guys and drop a review/comment when you have the time. My next update probably wont be until my spring break, which is April 6th, but I'll try to squeeze another chapter in before that date.**

**:Okay, so although you guys [the reviewers] might not remember what you wrote, I'll still respond to some of the reviews [of the previous chapter or any of the other chapters] at the end of any of the future chapters at this manner from now on:**

**::Ulcassi: Yup, I meant to drop this fic, meaning it was supposed to be a one-shot, but there was just something that made me continue it. XD**

**Blue Rice: mhm, it is love! :)**

**Candle 101: I'm glad you finally remembered which email you used. You're always so forgetful. -_- I don't like serious…so you'll have to bear with the cutesy stuff lol**

**shunak0tan08: To your first review, yea I wrote Royai first so I kinda based those chaps on that. What else is there to do but flirt while doing said paperwork? It's more fun that way. To your second, lol mhm Erza S. would probably go berserk if her supply of strawberry cake would suddenly disappear. **

**Yuki Kusanagi: In regard's to Mystogan's poem in chapter 14, it did take him the whole day. No exaggeration. XD**

**lil'chrome-chan: Of course Knightwalker meant the dinner thing. Mhm.**

**splitheart1120: Jellal does seem to have some screw loose…or loose screw…**

**Burned Down: Isn't he adorable. He can't help it anymore.**

**Dlkg: Yeah, I agree with what you wrote. The smallest things are the best. [at least I think that's what you wrote. My Spanish is not so…advance.]**

**Velgamidragon: lmao I completely forgot about that episode between Juvia and Gray. Juvia's part certainly mirrors Jellal's "she had forgotten" quite well. Made me laugh. I just love Juvia XD::**


	20. Win

**Gah, sorry for being gone for so long…pretty sure it didn't affect anyone but I digress. **

**Thank you for all the reads, favorites and all that other good stuff :]**

…

**#20 Win**

**Cameo Appearance(s): Ultear**

Knightwalker's brow twitched slightly. "Why?" Sugar Boy looked her way. "Hmmm… why what, Erza?" He followed the direction her eyes lingered upon. They stood on a low balcony, a mezzanine if you will, and observed the extravagantness of the occasion. The same ballroom hall that was used during the King's birthday was being employed once again for the said party. This time, however, was grander and it was being held at the behest of a certain female acquaintance of his Majesty.

"Why is there a bloody party? What's the occasion?" The blonde Captain merely shrugged his broad shoulders and took a swig of liquor from his glass. To the side, she muttered once again, "Damned nobles with their nonsense."

"If you are curious, why don't you participate?" He began his small lecture until he noticed that the redhead was no longer heeding his words and instead was watching someone quite attentively without blinking an eye. "Perhaps, you would feel more at ease if you danced with his Majesty."

Her head violently swished her head to side, harsh enough that it looked as though her neck would snap. She turned her back from the scene below and rested both her elbows on the marble railing. "Tch, the hell I will." An amused chuckled vibrated out of Sugar Boy. Noticing the slight blush forming on her cheeks was amusing, indeed. "Hmmm, I hadn't realized you get embarrassed easily."

"Shut up, Sugar Boy." As if to make matters worse, she noticed Ultear approaching, with a glass at each hand. "Captain Knightwalker, why are you up here? You should be out there, entailing yourself in passion and music." Captain Knightwalker, being the good listener that she was, confiscated the two glasses from Ultear, drank both and hope that it was enough to drown out every single word that comes out from the other woman's mouth.

"Excuse me but those were mine." Erza quickly returned the emptied glass to her. "I think you had enough, Ultear." Only a drunken giggle was produced from Ultear's lips. _I'm getting the feeling that she is behind this blasted party._

All of the sudden...

"Hmmm."

"Oooh!" Two pair of eyes was transfixed onto the dance floor, but Erza resisted the urge to glance at what caught their attention. "Erza, it seems as though you have attracted a handsome, gorgeous man to you." The sable haired slapped the Captain's cheek playfully and pinched it afterwards.

"Stop it." _What is she prattling on about now? _"Erza, the King is coming upstairs." All the blood drained from her face, most likely from Sugar Boy's comment. If the King was coming, there was a possibility that he was going to ask her to dance with him.

"You jest, surely?"

"No. He is honestly making his way here." Ultear hugged the Captain's neck, obstructing her swift getaway. _Damn! She's ruining my escape. _

"Ultear, what are you doing?" Erza's ears perked up from the familiar baritone voice she knows so well. Knightwalker peered to her left and realized that it was too late to flee. "I was simply warming her up for you, Jellal…Huh?" She finally uncoiled her petite arms from Erza's neck and began a stumbling gallop towards the stairs connecting to the lower level. "Do I hear the pigeons calling for me?" Sugar Boy shook his head and half carried Ultear by her shoulders. "Hmmm, it is best that I escort this poor soul downstairs. She might roll over." Erza could have sworn her fellow Captain winked at her.

"Sugar Boy, Ultear. Stop…" Erza's voice weakly pleaded for their return, but of course she wasn't heard. _Why am I excited all of the sudden? I've been alone with him in more one occasion. Technically, we're not alone. _

"Erza." His low voice chimed beautifully in her ears.

"What!" She automatically yelled in response. Her what sounded more agitated than pleased. If it bothered him, he didn't display it. "Shall we dance?" A gloved hand extended in front of her. "There is music this time. Unless, you still want me to hum." Tempting as it was, there were numerous prying eyes surrounding them, despite them being away from the limelight. That, and the knowledge of her inept dancing influenced her decision.

"Thank you, but I will have to decline your offer." She said steadily. All she got from him was a small laugh. "I see. I suppose that is to be expected. After all, the Captain knowingly has two left feet. This way, my feet would be spared from the agony of being stepped on." Erza growled. Was she being challenged? _Cha-challenge?_

"You…" She snatched his hand and placed one on her waist. The other, she grasped tightly with her own grip and led. At least, that was what she was aiming to do. After a few stumble here and there, he finally had enough of her silly maneuvering and assumed control of their dance.

"Bastard. Someday, I'll beat you in this." She stepped on the tip of his ebon boots, purposely no doubt. "Not everything is a duel, milady.

Step. He simply smiled at the second "misstep" that happened.

"But apparently, in that charming head of yours, believe that you lost." He scrolled his head closer to hers. "In that case, we should partake in something we could both…win in."

…


	21. Unspoken

**Note: For those who have read the previous chapter the day it was uploaded, disregard the story that was after #20, Win. I am modifying it and will be once again viewed near the end of this story. That is all… [Probably nobody remembers it anyways XD]**

…

Captain Knightwalker ducked from the incoming rolled-up banner that swung her way. "My apologies, Captain." The castle servant swiveled his body and once again she ducked once more. "Excuse me." He rushed out of the scene when he was being called for. Several other workers were doing a little decorating in the castle foyer, giving it more flavor and flair, much to her chagrin. Flowers were watered, the marbles shined, the ceilings sparkled and the royal Palladian windows around the foyer were encased in a beautiful scarlet satin curtain."Captain Knightwalker!" A woman called out. Over by the middle of all this commotion was Ultear, sitting on a chair with the most placate smile on her face. Meldy was beside her.

_Great…_Since the Captain was already spotted; there was no point in pretending that she hadn't heard her. She walked towards the woman. "Ultear, I'm assuming this is your doing." Ultear excitedly clapped her hands. "Jellal has given me full reigns to redecorate the castle, so that is exactly what I am doing."

She held out two cloths of a different color in front of the Captain. "Scarlet red or Royal blue?" The King's soft smile invaded her thoughts and Knightwalker impulsively vomited out, "Royal Blue." She kicked herself mentally when she realized what was just said. Ultear clapped her hands. "Excellent choice, Captain. You there! Change the curtains to this color." The workers groaned silently. This was the umpteenth time they were redressing the curtain's colors. "The castle looks fine without your meddling." Ultear dangerously wagged a finger close to the Captain's face. "No it isn't. It's...what is the right word? Drab, lackluster, vapid, I could go on…hold on second, Captain." She marched over to one of the poor saps that almost tipped an expensive vase over. "You! What in Goddess's name are you doing? I don't want to yell, but you are forcing my hand." Sparing no words for the worker, she reprimanded him with a sharp tongue.

Knightwalker backed away little by little. _I pity that man, but better him than me. _She was almost out of the clear until a wrong turn was taken and she bumped into the last person she wanted to see. "You are acting rather suspicious, milady. " Jellal lightly tapped her arm. It seemed as though the good King was skulking around the area as well. Now all she needed was Sugar Boy and Hughes to pop out, and her day would be just…peachy. _On second thought, please no. _

"Your Majesty, good afternoon." Taken aback by the politeness in her tone, he felt her forehead. "Are you unwell? That was a bit too polite for you." She jerked her head from his touch. The King smiled. "Much better."

She crossed her arms. "Why is that woman doing all this? It's too bright in here now." He chuckled lightheartedly. "We can always revert it back to the way it was as soon as her matter here finishes." _Tch, when will that be? _"Like I said, as soon as business relations have concluded." Had she said her question out loud? "You're quite expressive, Captain. I suspect that you aren't even aware of it." The Captain now expressed her annoyance with a glare. That was the first time someone had said that to her. _No, I'm not. _"Yes, you are."

Her eyes screamed, _"No, I'm not."_

His eyes countered, _"Yes, you are."_

His silent remark earned him a smacked on the chest. He couldn't contain his snickering at this point. To him, reading Erza was like reading through the contents of a book, but much more entertaining. "If you are finished, I will take my leave. Good day." He extended his arm and blocked her path.

"Erza, wait."

"Yes?"

Jellal cast his eyes on hers. Determination consumed his brown iris, however, in a blink of an eye, hesitation quickly erased it. "Nothing." Knightwalker arched her eyebrow before she can raise a question, he fled. "Jella…King!" There must be a reason as to why he stopped her, other than to delay or annoy her. _Is he implying that I follow him? _She shook her head. _I might as well._

"Interesting." Hiding closely in the shadows, Ultear managed to eavesdrop on that tiny exchanged they had. "What is, Ultear?" Meldy asked. "Come, Meldy. Before we lose them!" She announced. "But Ul, maybe we shouldn't pry." Ultear merely patted the girl's head affectionately. "Nonsense. We are their friends. It is only our right to pry."

…

Ultear and her partner in crime, Meldy, shuffled behind the pair, making sure that they remained like ghosts as they followed them. [A/N: Cue Pink Panther music XD] Seeing that the area that they were about to enter was the garden, once the two unsuspecting subjects settled in a desolate area of the garden, the nosy duo hid behind some bushes.

"Ul, this is kind of fun." The sable haired woman couldn't agree more. "Isn't it?" She responded with glee.

Nearing towards the edge of their seats, so to speak, Ultear and Meldy poked out their heads just enough that they had a full field of vision of the couple's actions and still retained their incognito status. The couple's backs were turned away from where the duo hid. They sat down onto a marble bench and positioned their bodies only a few inches apart from each other.

_Do something… _Were among the many "ingenious" thoughts that raced through Ultear's mind. It's not everyday that one can witness their interaction. If one should ask, she was merely being curious, is all.

The two kept anticipating the King's and his Captain's next move, but they remained motionless, unchanged, as if time around them ceased to exist.

A heavy sigh escaped Ultear's lips. "We should go, Meldy." She patted the younger girl's shoulder. "We won't be able to comprehend their conversation, no matter how hard we try." Meldy tilted her head and whispered, "But all they're doing is staring at one another."

"This kind of unspoken exchanged is something that even we cannot fathom."

…

**Long Rant: Just wanted to ask, is anybody enjoying the new season of the Fairy Tail anime? I love it so far. The reason as to why I'm bringing this up is that, if you look at the new opening ending, I hope I'm not seeing things [and I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed], but the enemies for this season are the Earthland version of Sugar Boy[the blonde Elvis cosplayer XD], Hughes[I think his Earth-version is a girl lmao], Byro[the very buff guy with the staff], Coco[the girl chasing Lucy] and who I believe is Faust[the only short old guy…] There are two other people but I don't recognize them. I'm just hoping that they are who I think they are. It's as close as I could get to Sugar Boy! [love his character XD]**

**Anyways thanks for all those who have read, faved, alerted and all that good stuff! Stay healthy, eat fruit and remember if you're staring at someone and they catch you, just tell them "there's just some dirt there." Awkward if that said dirt is a mole XD. Have an exciting week, everyone! **


	22. Approval

**Wow, I've been gone for just a few months and the layout of this site changed so much...imo that is.  
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**Cameo Appearance(s): R. Knightwalker (OC, obviously)**

…

"Your Majesty, the trading routes have been cleared of bandits. The reports indicate…are you listening?" The lady Captain raised the paper in tow and lightly smacked the dazed King on the head. "Yes, yes! I am clinging onto every single syllable, letter, words that you are uttering. I cannot understand why you would think otherwise." She had an idea. "If that's the case, then repeat what I just said."

"If that's the case, then repeat what I just said." She shook her head, fully knowing she set herself up for that one. "A smart aleck. I am serious, Jellal. I am reviewing these documents with you at your behest." Now, he's done it. He has agitated his Captain once again and somehow he'll need to humor her so that she won't leave. "Captain, I am insulted that you mull over the fact that I wasn't listening. But I was. You see, now in those reports, page 3, line 6, you spoke of the fact that with the combination of your unit and the aid of several guilds in the city, mainly Fairy Tail, we had managed to control the raiding, oversee future problems and built a better relationship with not only the traders but said guilds that were involved in the crisis." He smiled triumphantly. That should humor her for a while.

With no retort to add, Erza switched to a new set of report to discuss. But of course, like an overbearing paperweight, he placed his hand on top of the stack, which prevented her from taking a new batch of papers. "Captain. Erza…I'd rather not talk business with you. I'd prefer a more intimate conversation with you. Like, what color of underwear are you wearing and you would respond to…"

"Black." He was not expecting her to play along. He cleared his throat. "Why would you put that image in my head?" Knightwalker tilted her head in question. "You asked, idiot. That's why." Happily, he laughed without any restraints. "Are you going to ask what color I'm wearing?" Her shoulders were not as tensed as before and at the edge of her lips, a small smile was beginning to form. "No, you perverted King."

"Your King is not perverted. With that said, at your King's command, meaning mine, why don't you go ahead and sit on my lap." She smirked, and that made his legs twitch. Will she actually do said order or was she merely toying with him. Either way, he still exuded excitement, externally and internally.

One foot stepped forward and yes, she was going to do it, but he would never know, as her attention was diverted to the presence at the other side of the door. "Someone's going to come in." Jellal didn't hear a knock so she was most likely being paranoid…

Then, a knock was heard.

"I should've have never doubted you." He cursed under his breath. A moment with her was taken away from him faster than he predicted. "Don't look so disappointed, your Majesty." Knightwalker commented before opening the door.

"Erza! There you are! I have been looking all over you." A towering older man stood in front of the slightly perturbed Captain. His grayed hair looked uncombed but his beard looked as though it received a better trim than the top of his head. Around his eyes were wrinkles that implied that he smiled often and a scar across his right eye marred his face. He wore a long black coat, and he proudly wore the insignia of the kingdom at the front of his coat. "Hello, Father. What brings you here?"

Did he hear right? Jellal stood up and nervously began straitening out his clothes. If his memory serves correctly, her parents died during a bandit raid of her home village when she was young. _An adopted father, perhaps? _"I'd like us to resume our conversion from a month ago." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Not here, Father. Come, we will go somewhere…" The older man's focus was no longer at his daughter, but at Jellal, who looked as though he had seen a ghost. "Who is this boy, Erza?" The man had a distinct accent, similar to that of a foreigner, which indicates that he probably didn't originate in the Capital city. (Think of an Italian accent.)

"He is not a boy, Father. He is the King." With his introduction at hand, Jellal walked over and outstretched his hand for a harmless hand shake but her father slapped both of his enormous hands on the King cheeks and pinched it. "Faust, what kind of lotions have you been with experimenting with? You look great!" An uneasy chuckle escaped the monarch's lips. His face was being played with as if it was made out of play dough. "I am his son, Jellal." The senior Knightwalker blinked twice before bursting to a fit of laughter.

"I supposed that makes sense. When did you take over, lad?" The King was reluctant to answer but did so anyway. "Five years ago, sir."

"Oh! You barely look ten." Jellal tried to hide his displeasure but obviously it didn't work. "I jest, boy. Don't have such a sour face, King." He got slapped on the face, lightly mind you, but it was still a slap. "Father, please. Have some…" She couldn't use respect, since she has been rude to the King at times as well so she settled with, "decorum."

"It's fine, Erza." Although his face would say a different story.

"See, its fine. Now, I want us to continue our discussion from a while back." The Captain tried to lower her father's booming voice but nothing was working. "Yes, let us find some other place to –"

"Where are my grandchildren?" And it's out. She was praying that her Father wouldn't bring _that_ up, especially not in the presence of the King. _Here we go. _"I am an old man, young lady. I will not be alive for very long. I'd like to see some kids with my favorite daughter." She groaned. "You already have plenty of grandchildren running amok in this world. I don't see why-"

"You are my favorite daughter because you are not related to me by blood, so that means that you are not as crazy as me. I'd like some normal grandchildren." The notion of normalcy is overrated in her opinion.

"Father-"

He interrupted once again. "Do you have problems finding a man? I know you can be intimidating sometimes. Do you want Papa to help you find one?"

"No, I do not want Papa to help me fi-"

"Do you not like men? Because, Papa is all right with that. Your sister, Marion, has two kids and a wife. Your father does not judge." She was used to this, with him never letting her finish any of her sentences. "You know my orientation in all…what?"

His finger point out to Jellal. In his mind, he had already formed a conclusion that hit the mark so spot on. "Unless, you like this boy." He laughed proudly. "Erza, you go straight for the top! That's my girl." She massaged her temple. Talking to her father was even more exhausting than conversing with the King, although both are quite adamant when it came to her. He approached the unusual quiet Jellal and she wanted to save him but when her old man eyes someone, it'd be hard to redirect his attention elsewhere.

"Sir."

"So, I'll take the silence surrounding you two as a sign that I am indeed correct." Jellal looked up as the taller man gripped his shoulders firmly. "You may be the king, but it does not grant you automatic approval from me." The Captain tugged at her father's arm. "Father, enough. Why don't we get something to eat?" He released the monarch from his clutches.

"Sure! I am famished." Jellal balled his hands to a fist. Why did it feel like his tongue was cut off this entire time? "Hey, don't worry about him." She whispered to him. He just realized that they were about to leave. He had to speak. He had to say something on his own behalf.

"It was nice to meet you, sir."

"Likewise, Gelatin." A hearty laugh pervaded his ears. Knightwalker's father finally exited the room, leaving the couple a little bit of time to chat amongst themselves. "I am sorry. My father has diarrhea when it comes to speaking. It takes your entire life just to get used to his mannerism." He grinned at that.

"We'll talk later then?" Erza returned his smile but said nothing more and left.

…

**Hey, sorry being gone so long. I thought I would bring up Erza's adopted father, since I have been thinking about this character for a long time but never got a chance to actually include him. **

**Long Rant: Lolz, wtf is up with the new season of Fairy Tail. That scenario with Sugar Boy and Gray was so out of left field, even if it was still funny as hell. I still like it, but I don't get the Legionnaire's motive. It makes no sense. Now, escaping from the anime Fairy Tail. Anybody kept up to date with the latest chapters of Fairy Tail? ooo Jelly is in trouble! lol I wont spoil it, of course but it made me actually want to read the next chap, which I haven't yet since I'm updating this on a Sunday. I think I'm going to go read it now and end my rambling which none of you will read *chortle* **

**Thanks for reading, favorite-ing, and reviewing! Have a nice day, everyone!  
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	23. Hot Water

…

Sweat trickled down Jellal's forehead and it stung his eyes as he blocked an incoming attack from the side. His soaked white shirt clung irritably on his skin. "Not bad, lad. You're not as weak as you look….uhh what was your name again? Jel..Gelatin…" The older man's booming laugh echoed the now empty training hall. The blue haired monarch gritted his teeth and bit his inner cheek. This "sparring match," if one could even call it that, has been rather painful and not to mention very hazardous for the young king. Erza's father's ability to suppress his hits is lacking and he already took two blows to the ribs. _Those are going to leave a bruise_.

He jumped backwards, barely evading another deadly strike. "Not a bad morning exercise, eh boy." Jellal wiped his brow. "Indeed, sir." _At least he is actually trying to communicate with me. _He countered an attack. _In his own way that is._

During the past few weeks, the foster father of the woman he cared for had been purposely ignoring him, nay, refusing to even look his direction. A friendly duel, he had hoped, would break the ice between them, so what was the harm of accepting his challenge. His aching muscles would say otherwise.

The king's eyes widened and raised his sword up. He had perfectly deflected the elder man's strike.

The twang of their dull blades against each other resonated across the room. Jellal swiftly rushed towards the taller man and parried an incoming thrust. A riposte followed soon after, and as a result, the bearded man's sword was knocked out of its clutches. Instinctively, Sir Knightwalker punched his young opponent squared on the nose and punted Jellal against the wooden wall. The king grunted in pain. "Ah…are you all right? I am truly sorry. It was a reflex, if you will. I was not expecting that from you." Jellal raised his hand, signaling that he was okay.

"Haha…you are full of surprises, my boy." He looked up to the outstretched hand of Sir Knightwalker. "I am a little impressed, Jellal. Just a little though." Brown eyes twinkled. Did he hear right? A small smile lingered on Jellal's face as he took the offered hand. However, halfway to his ascend, he fell back once again, hitting his head on the ligneous surface. A bellowing laugh struck his eardrums. "I am sorry, my boy. I couldn't resist. Here, here. I will help you again." The king was about to politely decline when the wall he was leaning on disappeared. Once more, his head crashed onto a very, very hard wooden floor. _If this keeps up, I'm going to have a concussion by the end of the…the…_

"Your Majesty." Someone had slid open the door and that person happened to be his lady Captain. Magnetized by his current predicament, he realized that he is in a slight advantageous position. "Jellal…" Erza whispered. Noticing his foolish grin, she wondered what was going through his head right now. _Is he badly hurt?_ With the help of Ultear [who tagged along with the Captain because she was bored], the women hoisted Jellal back to his feet.

"Well, well. Two beautiful women came to his Majesty's rescu…" His words drifted. Sir Knightwalker took a step away from his daughter when she approached him. He scratched his ears. "Oh no. I know that look. I'm about to be lectured aren't I?"

"Father. What are you doing?" Erza started to lead her father away from the entrance of the training room.

Ultear watched father and daughter interact with one another. She found their squabbling endearing. "So that's Erza father? With the way she's scolding him, you'd forget who the parent is between the two." Jellal dabbed a finger on his bleeding noise and hissed. She lent him a handkerchief. "Thanks, Ultear." He cleaned the remnants of blood from his nose. "You don't usually accompany Erza around the castle. Since when did you two buddy up together?" She harmlessly slapped him on the arm, earning a low whimper from him. "Oh sorry. Well. Meldy was busy today. Supposedly, she has a date. She won't tell me who the kid is though. Suspicious if you ask me." He chuckled, even if the action caused some aching tremors in his body. "So Erza is your stand-in woma—"

A large arm wrapped around his neck like a snake, interrupting Jellal. "Why don't I patch him up for you then, if that's the problem." The trapped king made no move to escape the older man's suffocating grip. "Dad!" Knightwalker shook her head. "Let him go." She stared at Jellal. _Why isn't he saying anything? Obviously, my father is merely goading him. _

"I've never seen you coddle anyone before, daughter." Her mouth twitched. "Don't worry. I'll have him fixed in no time."

Ultear looked to and fro between her friend and the Captain's father. _I suppose I could do my good deed for this week. _She snaked her tiny arms around the older man's free arm and smiled "Good sir. Why don't I give you a tour of this wonderful piece of architecture? Do you know this marvelous building has four floors? Exquisite, isn't it." Sir Knightwalker raised his brow.

"A tour? I cannot say no to a beautiful lady." Jellal breathed a sigh of relief when the uncomfortable pressure was lifted from his windpipe. His dear friend had just granted him a small reprieve. "Great, so Erza perhaps you should tend to Jellal and I'll give your father a tour of the place, if you don't mind that is." As if he needed his daughter's permission. Good thing her old man sometimes had a one-track mind [when it came with women.]

"By all means." Knightwalker watched as Ultear began walking her dear old dad out of the area.

"Okay, so let's head here first then, sir."

"Please, call me Ricard." Ultear responded with a customary giggle, which made Erza's stomach sick for some reason.

When the couple was finally alone, she glared at him. "I'm not coddling you." Her tone was firm but it sounded as though she was convincing herself. He flashed a boyish grin to her direction.

"I know." She avoided any eye contact with him. Remembering what had transpired in here before [referencing chapter 10, I believe], she felt a bit antsy. "What were you thinking, sparring with my father?" A pained moan escaped her king's lips.

"Erza, I'm not feeling well. Hold me." He was acting like a little boy who had skidded his knee on the concrete. He leaned most of his upper body against her back. His body was saturated with cold sweat so her body heat was welcoming. "I am not going to carry you, idiot." The pair walked, or rather Erza had to drag his limped body to the small clinic down the hallway.

Her hand twisted the doorknob. Jellal crossed his fingers and thought of only one thing. _I hope there's no one in there. I hope there's no one in there. I hope there's no one in there. I hope there's no one in there. _He needed to be alone with her.

When the clinical room was revealed to have no dwellers inside, he cheered. _YES! _She helped him up on an examination bench. Its cushioned seat sunk lower against the added weight placed upon it.

Knightwalker moved his head left and right, examining his face carefully. "Good, no black eye. You have a council meeting tomorrow." That news sort of depressed him. "Where else does it hurt?" He beamed. If she's not coddling him now, he'd love to see what she would be like if she were to coddle him. "I'm feeling better now. Don't worry about–" She poked his chest.

"Erza, what are you…" Then, she poked his stomach. "Erza…" He made a miserable strangled sound when her finger made contact with his right side. "Did that hurt?" Finding his reaction amusing, she made a move to repeat her action again, but he stopped her with his hand. "No, that's just the sound I produce when I'm being tickled." She pursed her lips and nodded her head. " I see. Well, you know what they say, laughter is the best medicine." He grabbed hold of her other threatening hand and weakly laughed. "In this case, its not." She managed to rip her gloved hands from his iron grip and lifted the material of his shirt.

"Are you sure it tickles when I touch it?" She lightly pressed the sore flesh with a finger. "Yes." He squeaked. "Hold on. There's probably some salve in the back. Let me get it." After a few minutes, she came back with a small glass jar. She shed her preferred gloves off and gently settled it beside the king.

His heart stopped when both of her hands extended towards the top of his shirt. She popped one button out. Her hand slowly journeyed down his dried shirt until all buttons have been unfastened. She tried to make sure the cloth of his shirt didn't brushed against his bruise. Erza shook her head. His injury has now turned into a shade of dark purple. She dipped two fingers in the jar and soothingly circled the ointment around his injured side. All the while, Jellal sat there frozen, unable to retract his eyes away from her movements. Her forearm was on his lap but she was focused on fully rubbing the salve on the bruised area that she didn't even hear him gulp. Clearly, she was oblivious to her actions and how it was affecting him…

"There we are." She hopped beside him on the bench. "Is your boo boo feeling better now?" Jellal's dimpled smile appeared on his face. "Yes. I have an amazing nurse." Without any words, he shifted his position and impelled the Captain to lean her back down on the cushion. Her umber eyes latched onto his instantly. Their bodies were hard pressed against each other.

He nuzzled her nose. "I want to kiss you."

"Then, why don't you?" The kiss was soft at first, but as they found that certain rhythm, their kisses became fervent and untamed. He shrugged off that cursed scarf that hid her sweet neck from him and trailed kisses down her neckline. Callus hands roamed around the contours of his bareback. Jellal's muscles trembled from her touch as he deepened the kiss between. "We should stop. Someone can—" He silenced her with his lips.

…

"Heh. I'm sure by now, his majesty has had his wounds treated by Erza." Ricard headed towards the walkway leading downstairs. "Miss Ultear, you said they probably headed to the small clinic below. Where is it?" The sable haired woman smiled and gladly showed him the way. _I certainly hope they're not doing anything in there. I should check first just in case. _They reached their door to the clinic but she hesitated. _I'm sure nothing is happening…_She creaked the door open and peeked inside. The woman's behavior was confusing the elder Knightwalker.

"Is something wrong?" She abruptly shut the door. "Nope. They're not in there. Erza might've brought…him…uhh…maybe they went out to lunch." She clapped her hands and placed her hands on his back, ushering him to move away from the door.

"You know, Miss Ultear. I have 8 children and including Erza, I know when they are lying to me." He crossed his arms and switched on his "strict father mode" on. "Move aside, please." Like a small child, she did just that. Ultear slapped herself on the forehead. _Heavens me. Why didn't they lock the door? _

Jellal was thrown off to the side and almost lost his balance. The redheaded Captain shot up at the sight of her father. Why did it feel like she was in trouble?

"Father, I—"

"Erza, why don't we go and have a bite to eat. Since I am here to stay…." The old man made sure he looked at Jellal when he said that. "You should eat more often with your old papa. I am old withered and I could clock out any minute now." She sighed. "Father, don't say that." He wrapped his large arms around her shoulders and guided his daughter out the door, like a parent escorting his child to go for time-out. Ricard didn't even bother acknowledging the King who was thrown off the side like a pariah.

The couple briefly glanced at one another before Erza was steered out the room.

The door closed.

Jellal crumpled down on the bench. Ultear sat beside him. "Well that went well. I was expecting him to yell at you two." He closed his eyes. Silence, he gathered, was much more deadlier than any outbursts he could receive from the old man. "Lock the door next time."

"Thanks for the advice."

Suddenly, the door flung open and Jellal automatically braced himself. "Miss Ultear, I didn't thank you for the tour. So my thanks." Sir Knightwalker bowed in a very gentleman fashion. "You are most welcome."

He locked on his hawk like eyes at Jellal. "And you…" Ricard peered at the stunned monarch.

"I will be watching you from now on." The door closed for the last time.

…

**Sigh, I was gone for a while again but I hope this chapter can make up for it? Hopefully? Maybe? meh not really…Hilarious the comments were in the last chapter. Lolz, yup I am enjoying the crap out of Erza's daddy. I'm going to have fun tormenting Mystogan…in a fun way of course. XD **

**So anyways, thanks for reviewing and favorite-ing. Have a pleasant day everyone! :D**


	24. Kidnapped

…

Jellal stopped. Earlier, Captain Sugar Boy had requested that he deliver a bag over to someone in the soldier's barracks because he had to attend a funeral. A strange favor to ask your King, especially if said request is instead befitting to some common errand boy. However, he agreed anyways. He is a friend above all else. Besides anything to get out of paper work, he rationalized.

Passing soldiers politely greeted their King, not at all questioning his presence in their barracks. "Now I am to give this to a Donovan. Maybe I could ask one of the—"

From behind, a hand covered the King's mouth and abruptly pulled him into a darkened room. Something soft touched his back. Two soft humps to be exact. "Shh." The woman placed a finger on his lips to hush him. His back was suddenly thrown against the wall. Jellal knocked over something that sounded like a thud of a broomstick hitting the floor. _A closet? _The space was cramped but it was enough for him to move around his hand and touch the shoulder of his "assailant." Dark as the room was, it wasn't a hard guess to figure out who this woman was.

His eyes squinted when she nudged the door slightly open and took a gander outside. Her father turned his head to and fro, as if he was searching for someone. He scratched his heavy beard with one hand and arched his brow in confusion. "Odd," Jellal could faintly hear the old man's deep voice from where he stood. "I could've sworn that boy went in here."

The woman sighed. "Good, he didn't see you go in here." Her tone sounded relieved. "Erza, is there something you'd like to impart to me?" Knightwalker plastered her palm on his mouth. "Not so loud. My father has sonar hearing. Listen, just be mute for a little bit until my distraction arrives." An exasperated exhalation escaped her. Under her breath she muttered, "Why in the world did they choose here?" Jellal wasn't sure if she intended for him to hear that.

After a couple of minutes had passed, Ricard finally gave up on his hunt and turned his heel, but before he could be on his merry way, two figures approached the old man. Two certain individuals the King would notice any day.

"Ah, Miss Ultear." Jellal's head was on top of Erza's, as they watching the scene before them. She blinked twice. While their situation seemed harmless enough, if someone were to catch the King of Edolas and his trusted Captain behaving so suspiciously, an explanation for this would be hard to produce. "And Florence!" Ricard turned to other person, who happened to be Sugar Boy. Jellal frowned. _Didn't he say he would be at a funeral today?_

"How are you? Have you seen your King around here? I'd like to have a civil conversation with him." _Civil. Right._

The old man's accent was thick and even though Jellal still haven't gotten used to it, there was no mistaking that he did say, Florence.

"Florence?" The pair whispered simultaneously. "Sugar Boy's name is Florence?" Her incredulous tone made him chuckle. "I suppose so." Then, he remembered her words from before. "What did you mean distraction? Do you mean those two?" A short yes was the respond he received from her. "My father has been breathing down my neck, playing the age card every chance he gets. We both know why he's doing it." That he does. The senior Knightwalker hasn't left his daughter alone for quite some time now, leaving Jellal rather 'Erza-deprived," as he would like to call it, because of her absence.

"So…?" He asked, trying to fish more out of her.

"So just shut up and wait." He was about to whine in way that only she has seen until they noticed Ultear and Sugar Boy had managed to get her father to agree into whatever grandiose plan they had mustered up in the morning. "All right then. I'll tag along. I suppose I'll catch up with the lad at another time." The blonde captain grinned and took the elder man's arm, leading the patriarch towards the exit of the building. When his attention was else where, Ultear shifted a bit to the side and faced the direction of the room the two was hiding in. She winked and nodded, prompting them to flee the area at once.

"There it is. Come on." Knightwalker grabbed his hand and dashed out as inconspicuously as one can get.

"Erza, okay. What is going on?" He gazed at their linked hands.

"I'm kidnapping you." She uttered with a straight face.

"You are…what?"

"Kidnapping you. It isn't easy to abduct the ruler of this Kingdom."

He smirked wickedly. "And if I were to resist?"

"Then, I'd have to apply…" She stalled for a bit. "…Deadly force." His mouth felt dry. It was like his tongue wasn't where it should be.

After sneaking past several oblivious maids and soldiers, they finally reached the Legion stables, where Hughes awaited with a readied Legion. "Hey, cool. Finally! I was starting to itch." She patted her fellow Captain twice on the back gratefully.

"Get on, Jellal."

"G-get on? Right." _Where in the world is she taking me? And Ultear, Sugar Boy and Hughes are all in on this? _She clicked her tongue thrice and the Legion fan out his wings.

"Hey Captain E, what do I tell Byro if he asks where his Majesty is." He shouted. "Make up something…" She quickly added, "believable."

"Okay! Be home by eight!" Hughes instinctively closed his eyes at the sudden burst of wind coming his way. He was sure they didn't hear him. "Something believable, huh? Tummy ache? No! Toothache! He had to go to the dentist! That's totally an amazing and believable story. Genius!" If Captain Knightwalker heard this, all she would do is shake her head.

…

"Erza."

"What?" She was perched at the top of her beast's head in a cross-legged fashion. "So where is my kidnapper taking me to?" She couldn't help but smile, albeit a small one, but the changes in her expressions are always a welcoming sight. "You'll see." As secretive as she was about her plans, it was nice to be out in the open.

The winged creature grunted softly and banked left. They arrived at a mountainous terrain where the growth of indigenous flowers and purely green mountain shrubs laid on its body. The mountains circled around a small blue lake. One of the taller mountains spewed out water from its mouth, creating an aesthetic feeling to this secluded haven. He could make out a grassy patch of land with high trees as its roof from the sun. The place appeared as though it hasn't been touch by human hands before and if it was, it camouflaged the evidence really well.

"This place is beautiful." Jellal peered down. "Yeah. I come here when I find the castle suffocating. I haven't visited in a while though." He couldn't take his eyes of off the lush environment and only the shifting of clothes did he glance at Erza again.

"A wha-wha…Gah…Kaw!" She eyed him quizzically. "Are you reciting some sort of incantation?" The Legion growled. "C'mon! Take of your clothes. Pocco is getting restless staying in flight for this long." She removed the leather leggings that covered her long legs and folded it up. Next, she unbuckled the metallic guard that adorned her right shoulder. One by one, a piece of clothing was removed except the undergarments that hid her assets. Jellal raised his hand to his nose. _Is this some kind of strip tease?_

"Oh for heavens sake. We're not going to do whatever it is you're imagining about. We are going to jump." She was giddy with excitement. "C'mon. Hey, are you still there?"

_Barely._

Of course she wasn't a mind reader but she could take a hint. "Jellal. Hurry. Up. Take. Off. Now." She spoke slowly, carefully enunciating every syllable as if he couldn't understand her. "Uh-huh." When he finally returned to his senses, he positioned himself in front of her once his garbs were peeled off.

He cautiously glanced down. "You sure this is safe?" She snaked her arms around his neck. "Would I bring you here if it wasn't. I have done this a plethora amount of times. Just not with somebody." She pressed her chest up against his and usually, he would listen to every work that comes out of her mouth, but in his defense, there are two causes of distraction that is making it very difficult to focus.

"It's not too high up. We'll be fine."

"I trust you." He smiled. She tugged his body and soon they were falling. He buried his face in her neck and waited for the uncomfortable impact of the dive. Cold water pricked his skin but it wasn't as painful as he was expecting.

They were underwater. He opened his eyes to find her observing him. She leaned over and pecked him on the lips before guiding him to the surface for some much needed oxygen. He gasped for breath. "See, wasn't that fun." They relaxed in the water for a while until she started to head for the shore. Nearby, her legion was curled up in the ball, resting from the long flight. Not wanting to disturb her winged friend, she noiselessly reached over to his side and unfastened a sizable brown bag.

"Food? You thought of everything." She threw him a towel. " A towel, as well." He laughed.

"I've always wanted to have a picnic." Erza said. She organized down the food stuffs on a blue cloth and opened a container for a sandwich. She bit on it. A piece of tomato strayed from its position and now hanged in between her teeth.

He moved closer and wrapped his larger hands around her wrist.

"What?"

He laid her down so that he was poised on top of her. He caressed her cheek. However, the only thing that was making this less romantic was her constant nibbling on the food in her hand. "Can you stop eating?"

She took another bite.

A warmhearted, loving smile spread across his lips.

"I love you."

Knightwalker coughed harshly and felt her ears burning. She shoved the rest of bitten sandwich in his mouth and pushed him off. "Why don't we race?" He flinched at the splash of water she generate and chewed slowly. Before she jumped in, he took notice the tint of red that invaded half of her neck. _Cute. _

"Hey, I'm going to win, you know!" She called out from the water. "That's cheating!" Jellal joined her. He knew he wouldn't hear those words from her. Not today. It wasn't her style.

But he knows. He knows how she felt. How could he not?

…

**And there we go.**

**Rant: Rearing on a tangent here, from the manga/anime whatever, we know that Erza K.'s armor was…well non-existent. I had written a story about how it distracted Mystogan so much that he laid out some kind of Captain uniform that bundled Erza to the neck down. It had no premise (much like this story) except for the fact that every time he would look at Erza, he feels a slight tingle down in his nether area. It was kinda perverted now that I think of it…lolz. I was planning on adding it in the series (in a form of a flashback) when I remembered it. Problem is, I can't find the stupid flash drive I stored it in. It'll show up eventually…like every item in my house. XD Okay that's about it for my mindless ranting.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thank you all for the constant reviews and the like. Have a wonderful day XD**

**P.S. I wrote this while listening to "A whole new world" WTF I know :D**


	25. Ours

**I'm still alive :D**

...

Jellal softly kicked his lady Captain's boot-clad foot under the desk to gain her attention. He did it once more, then another, and then another until finally she slammed the piece paper she was reading on the table. Knightwalker looked at the blue haired man. "Yes?" She asked coolly. Knowing better not to loose her temper, Erza shut her eyes and breathed steadily.

He smiled. "Can I ask you a question…" Then, he held up his finger. "Wait, wait. That wasn't my question. I want to ask another question from the previous question I asked before." None of his words registered in her head.

"Goddess, help us. Jellal, just ask your query." He clicked his tongue thrice and sucked some air through his teeth. Nervousness was oozing out of his body language, making Erza a bit weary.

Suddenly, he straitened his back and his handsome smile returned. He laid his hand on hers.

"Can I ask a-" He felt a sharp kick on his shinbone. "Okay, okay! I wanted to ask if we could adopt a pet." She remained speechless for a moment. All that stalling just so he could her if he could get a pet. What was he? Five? She was deciding whether to answer him or kick him again but decided against the latter. She didn't want to accidentally cripple her adorable King. It could happen. So instead, she went for a more docile approach and answered with a, "Sure, Jellal. Sure. "

The room fell in absolute silence and only the clock's "tick tock" filled the void.

"So is that a yes?" Jellal whispered and chuckled when he noticed a twitch escaping on the corner of her mouth. He hasn't been seeing those from her in a while and he was confident he could bring it out of her. "Relax, love. I'm serious though." Excited eyes peered closely at her. "Why do you need my permission for a pet?"

Yet again, his anxiousness returned. "Because I need…" He waved his hand so that she could dismiss the beginning of his sentence. "I meant I want us to get a pet. Together." He added, or rather emphasized "together" at the end just in case she wasn't reading between the lines. "Okay." She uttered, using a similar tone that he formerly used.

"A small, cute, little puppy that we could take care…together." She nodded her head. "Very well. I know somebody who has animals up for adoption. Sure, I can get you a domesticated animal to have and to hold." Jellal continued to clutch her hand. "You mean, get US a pet to have and to hold. A baby dog…a puppy. A cute, innocent little…" However, his words drifted in one in and out the other. She released herself from his grasp.

"I will get you a dog, your Majesty."

He reached out with his hand, and shook his head. "Erza…" She was already at the door. "I'll have it by tomorrow."

She wasn't listening anymore. "Erza, maybe I should go with-"The door closed in behind her. "…you."

_**The next day…**_

A new day had arisen from its wake and there were still no signs of his Captain anywhere. She never brought up that pet issue again, not even when they had dinner together yesterday so he had assumed that a.) She had forgotten or b.) She had remembered it but wanted to pass it on as if she had forgotten it so she didn't bring it up. Both the former and the latter could be true now that he thought about it.

Even if she had remembered it, what kind of animal will she bring? A puppy was most likely out of the question. They were too cute and defenseless for her taste. He pondered upon it and imagined several fictitious scenarios that seemed to come alive bit by bit.

_One out of many scenarios:_

_The door opens and in comes Erza, with a dog beside her. Its ominous fur was black, like a moonless night or an empty, dark, murderous alleyway. One of its piercing blue eyes locked on Jellal while the other was hidden behind an eye patch. "Greetings, my love. Meet Bradley. Cute, isn't he?" Bradley growled. _

"_Go on." She orders the dog. "Go and hug your new master." Before he can respond, she pinches the king's cheeks and smiled brightly at him, halting his tongue. "Don't thank me. You're welcome. Oh and sweetie, don't pet him. He will bite you."_

_The door closes, leaving him with the sinister hound. "So, Bradley…" Jellal merely strayed his eyes away from his newly acquired pet for a just second and the dog vanished. "Brad-" Something black appears at his left peripheral and he jumps from his seat. Bradley rests his paw on the monarch's lap and begins to howl incessantly. Suddenly, the string of the pup's eye patch snaps, revealing blood red eyes. _

"_There is no such thing as a true king." Bradley whispers._

Jellal forcefully banged his head on his table. He sighed. That couldn't happen, he rationalized. "Animals can't speak" Then, memories of the magical Exceeds momentarily flooded his mind. "But they're cats." He justified to himself. Fatigue crowded around him while a headache pounded at his head. This dread that she'll obtain some kind of wild beast for him drained his life slowly.

Then, the doorknob rattled, forcing Jellal out of his stupor. It turned slowly. The door creaked open in a slow motion like fashion, like it would when one sees their impending doom. He flinched when she came into view. Half expecting some feral animal to be beside her, he shut his eyes out of fear.

"Jellal, are you okay?" Knightwalker innocently asked. Confused about his strange behavior, she gradually approached him. "Jellal." She nudged his shoulders. He cracked one eye open and a hue of hazel eyes greeted him. Sitting on top of his desk was a little gray pooch. A speck of red adorned her forehead, acting like some kind of birthmark. On her right hind leg was another patch of red fur, incongruous to the rest of the pup's gunmetal fur." She whined and tilted her head. "A puppy?" Erza sat on the edge of his table. "Isn't that what you had requested?" His mouth opened to retort but fell silence. A measly, "yes" simply came out of him. Gazing at him with concern, she hurriedly reached for the young canine so that she could be returned. "Then, you don't like her." Her voice dropped to a hushed sound.

"No, that's not it." How can he explain some of the crazy outcomes that raged through his head earlier? "I feel guilty because I had presumed that you will be getting some kind of animal with sharp fangs and wears an eye patch." He confessed in one single breath. Erza blinked. His bizarre imagination almost teased a smile out of her.

"You're weird." She bluntly put forward. The puppy yelped a bark, most likely to agree with the Captain's statement.

He smirked. The mood of the room changed. "Weird, am I?" Taking her by surprise, he pulled her onto his lap. "Yes, you are." She closed the distance between their lips to initiate something she had been craving all morning but a loud bark from the pup interrupted them. "I have to go anyways." He moaned in protest.

"Take care of our puppy while I'm gone, weirdo."

...

**:) thanks for reading and have a nice day everyone.**


	26. The Talk

**Cameo Appearance(s): Saria Knightwalker (Another OC -wink-)**

**...**

"Erza…" The young pup barked and parked herself by Erza's father's foot. "Not you, little one." She whined but instantly wagged her tail happily when a treat came her way. "What is it, Father?" said Erza while she placed a small red cone nearby a bush. She had marked each bush in the garden with a colored cone at each corner. Then, she let the puppy smell a piece of cloth that belonged her. "Well, your sister is in a bit of a fix." Once again, the pooch buried her snout inside the cloth, memorizing its scent. When she had it down, she scoured the garden for the bush that had some resemblance to the scent she had just learned.

"Which sister?" Her father squinted his eyes when they became a bit blurred. "The eldest one, Saria. Remember the scuffle she had with the loan sharks last year." A distant bark was heard. "Apparently, she has attracted more unwanted attention. Can you help her?" Before replying, the Captain checked if her newly trained tracking dog sniffed out the correct bush. She whistled and the dog came running. A treat was flung close to the dog's mouth and she caught it. "She won't accept any help from you again, father?"

He sighed wearily. "She didn't last time, she wont want it this time. But she listens to you, lass. Please, calm your Papa's nerves and check in on your sister." Erza wanted to respond that Saria was a big girl and that she could handle herself but the worry in her father's green irises told her that she should just comply with his wishes. "Very well, father. I will look into it this afternoon." A big Cheshire smile appeared on his lips. "Good, good. A Knightwalker must always make time for family." He quickly added, "Don't bring Gelatin."

The redhead blinked in confusion. "You mean Jellal. And why would I bring him?"

Ricard patted her cheek lightly. "That is what I said. Gelatin. Anyway, I say that because it seems to me that you two are attached to the hip, are you not?" He bitterly smiled at his youngest daughter.

Father and daughter stared at each other.

"He is not present at the moment." She uttered.

"Yes, I am…surprised, Erza." The puppy barked suddenly. "Adorable," Disdain oozed from his tone, "Him naming his dog after you. You should go get another puppy, and dub him, Gelatin."

"Jellal." corrected his daughter. "That is what I said, lass. Now run along."

"What do you have against him, Father?" Her question was left unattended to as the old man began walking away from her. He raised his hand for a wave. "I am sorry, daughter. The sound of my footsteps is drowning out your voice. Go to your sister. She'll set you straight." He yelled loud enough for her to hear. Erza arched her brow in question.

_She'll set me straight?_ What did her old man mean by that?

…

Puppy Erza poked her head inside the doggy door. She identified that her owner is inside his office and barked. "Hello there, puppy." Jellal lifted her up and set her down on his desk. He noticed a rolled up paper tucked in her collar. "What's this?"

It read: "_Wear something inconspicuous and follow me__."_

The writer of this note was in a rush when they wrote it but he was still able to discern its instructions. "Curious." He took a gander at his wall-closet. The white linen that closed off the closet hasn't been touched for a while. "Most curious." Reading between the lines, he changed into his old Earthland attire.

"Lead the way." She wagged her tail and exited through her special door. He followed.

Jellal effortlessly bypassed the patrolling guards and smirked with pride. Looks as though he hasn't lost his touch, yet. However, his lady Captain will probably not be too eager to hear that her guards hadn't sensed him.

Finally, after several minutes of sneaking around, he reached the outside of the castle walls and resumed the trail his clever puppy was laying out for him. Nobody thought it odd as the gray-furred pooch continued to escort the King to his designation. Stranger people have sauntered through these streets so his garbs didn't stand out as much.

She barked. The dog was steering him east from the central section of the Royal city. As far as he knew, the east area housed residents who want privacy from the loud bustle of the city.

He finally arrived in a residential area but Erza wasn't here. His dog yelped and pointed her nose towards an upward inclination that merged with the street. There was a house up on the hill. Jellal twitched, mouth agape with incredulity. He sluggishly stepped forward and observed his four-legged friend. She was enjoying their lengthy journey upwards far more than he.

Was he out of shape? "No. This hill is merely too steep. I am in peak…" The monarch wheezed. "…condition."

"Wait up." They finally emerged at the summit. There was a redheaded figure nearby a gated fence, leaning against a wall. "Erza." He whispered and limped over to the figure. She threw a toothy grinned at him and rubbed his belly. "Hey!" He didn't appreciate her teasing his…fitness. "Why go through all this trouble when we could've just traveled here together." She handed a bottle of water to her out of breath King. "I was testing the dog." Without hesitation, she caressed his wet bottom lip and added, " and your stamina." He felt an uncomfortable shift below his belt.

"Oh." While he just consumed almost all of the liquid inside of the bottle, his mouth was suddenly drying up. "Come, you can have a moment of respite inside the house." She guided him inside the gate. The yard was a jungle of spruce colored trees and unsupervised growth of bizarre looking blue plants covered what looked like the garden in the front yard. The secluded sepia toned house has seen better days but it emanated history and wealth of a different kind.

"This is the Knightwalker's old house. Only my eldest sister and father reside here, now." A crunch of a branch alerted the Captain of trouble. She laid a weary hand on Jellal's chest to signal that he shouldn't proceed forward. The puppy whimpered and hid her nose under her paws. Erza picked up a twig and threw it in front of her.

A rope automatically snared the harmless branch and whirled upwards to the thick arms of the tree that hovered above them. The twig instantly snapped in two. Half of its piece fell on the ground while the other continued dangling from the tree. "Damn you, Erza!" A woman had opened a window from the second floor. "Always foiling my traps." A raven-haired woman winked at the unamused Captain. "Lighten up, will you baby sister. I'll open the door." Upon hearing the woman's voice, Jellal compared her accent to that of their father. He wondered where the Knightwalkers originated. [Again, think of an Italian accent.]

True to her words, the door opened. Once inside, you could hear the age of the house as the floorboards creaked with every step. She led her guests to the living room where she advised them to sit. "Hey, long time no see." Saria gazed at her sister's direction and then to the direction of Jellal, who still wore a covering on his face. "Who's the clown, Erza? You sure keep company with oddballs." Feeling slightly embarrassed, he undid his mask.

Saria gasped. "Tall, dark and tattooed. How did you figure out how I like my men, little sister?" The Captain growled rather impatiently. "Just kidding. I know who you are, your Highness. Why are you here? Did you impregnate my sister?" Not knowing how to answer to that, Jellal wordlessly shook his head no. "No? Then, you two are getting married? Look at you, baby sister. You went straight for the top, huh." Erza clicked her tongue.

"Saria, Father had informed me that you are having some mishaps with the local loan sharks." Bemusement marred the older woman's features. "Loan sharks? I have no mishaps with the local loan sharks." Then, she recalled their father's visit from this morning. "Oh right! No problems with those imbeciles but I am supposed to talk to you about the dingos and the birds." The couple was boggled by her words. "You know, the birds and the dingos…or is it something with beeswax…bees and the dingos?" Erza slapped her forehead.

"The birds and the bees." Saria snapped her fingers. "Yes! How do you know about that? What are you, twelve now?"

"Thirteen and a half." The younger Knightwalker played along. "Do you honestly believe I haven't picked up any knowledge of THAT throughout my career?" Both Saria and Jellal laughed at the spectacle of this exchange. "What did you want me to tell, Papa? Oh pops, you can't serious if you think that Erza is still a vir-"

"Saria!"

"Look, humor me. Let's chat. His highness could have a look-see at our family album while he waits." She directed him to an antiqued closet beside a fireplace.

"He doesn't need a look-see, Sister."

"Sure he does." The raven-haired sister hooked her arm into her sister's and dragged her to an adjacent room.

The moment the door closed its mouth all hell broke loose. "He's a bit timid for a King. Is it true that Papa calls him Gelatin?"

"Unfortunately." Erza could only guess where this conversation will lead them. "Well, as long as he isn't a gelatin down there if you know what I mean." The redhead frowned, causing Saria to giggle. "Don't be such a prude, little girl." Silence filled the air.

"He isn't a gelatin, right?"

"I haven't the clue." Saria covered her mouth. "Wait, you two haven't churned the butter?" Now, Erza could deduce as to where this conversation will lead them. "Wait, he hasn't thread the needle? Wind the clock? Knock some mops? Boom-boomed? Rodeod? Hokey pokey? My goodness, Erza. I always thought you'd be so…willing."

The Captain shook her head. "Thank you for insinuating that I am a whore."

"You are welcome."

"Why is every talk we have result in perverseness?" Her eldest sister chuckled.

The sisters conversed for a while longer before joining Jellal in the living room. "Jellal, I told you not to have a look-see." She tried to pry the album from his clutches but failed. "You were cute when you were a child." He dodged another snatching and laughed at her pout.

"Jellal!"

"Erza."

A sincere, pleased smile squirmed its way on the older Knightwalker's mouth. Never has seen her scowling sister behave so…childish "All right, kids. Your turn, Jellal…Time for the talk." The pair froze in time. "The talk?" They simultaneously said.

"Saria. We have run out of time. Maybe another day." Erza hurried the King out of the door. There was no way she was letting Jellal hear the "Talk" from her sister. "Nice to meet you, Miss Saria!"

"Arf!" The puppy's head shot up from her nap and followed her owners.

"Sure, next time, then." Saria caught a small thank you from the King and waved at them. As much as she enjoyed seeing Erza squirm, it was probably for the best that they leave now.

"Next time, then." She repeated and closed the door when the two finally disappeared in the distance.

She sighed in relief.

"I have nothing to worry about now."

**...**

**I had no idea what to call the Chapter so I named it the name you see in the chapter selection. If you don't understand some of the terms Saria had listed, use context clues...or google (although, I wouldn't suggest it...)  
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**Thanks for reading.  
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	27. Scared

Hey guys! Long time, no see (so to speak) Sorry I haven't updated in awhile but here's one. Thank you for those who still follow this and hello to any new readers that somehow found this story of mine.

Note: _Italics are the character's thoughts_

….

A group of people sat in a circle around a table and some wore apprehensive looks on their faces. They were all called upon this fateful night to hear a tale of terror and madness one of which none had ever heard before. It was a true story, a nightmarish story. The light suddenly flickered unsteadily, as if warning the people in the room to run away if they ever want to sleep again. A wicked cackle rose from the depths of hell and deafened the ears of its poor victims. It continued for another second until it was interrupted…

"Hughes…Get on with it." Erza said in a bored tone. "And stop playing with the lights."

"Erza! I was setting up the mood." Hughes cleared his throat and attempted to resume his story.

"Can we leave? I need some sleep." Meldy chimed in before he can start. Ultear sat next to her and laughed quietly.

"Hey! You said you would listen, Pinky." The young Captain exclaimed. Meldy resisted the urged to roll her eyes. "I would but you're boring, Captain NOT Amazing." She baited him and just like any good bait, he was hooked. "Now listen here, young lady." Sugar Boy raised his hands to prevent from any bickering to occur. "Now, as amusing as I find this lover's quarrel, I would really like to water my plants. Will this be over soon?"

Hughes's face shrunk. "Why didn't you water them before, Sugar Boy?"

"Hmmm? Because they only want to be watered at night." Sugar Boy explained.

More discussions about plants and other things came up and soon, the ghost story that Hughes wanted to exaggerate upon was no longer the main topic.

Knightwalker sighed as she crossed her arms. _I'll give them a minute. _She glanced to her right. The King was surprisingly quietly throughout this whole ordeal. He seemed somewhat distracted and it appears as though he wasn't breathing at all. She placed a warm hand on his shoulder and he jumped at the slight touch. Erza whispered an apology for startling him. "Is everything well, King?" Jellal loosened his collar and nodded quickly. "All is well." He muttered weakly and coughed a bit, as if to rid an obstruction that clogged his throat.

Perplexed at his reticent mien, she gazed at his stiff posture and attempted to console him but Hughes's obnoxious yelling reminded her that they were not alone. _Perhaps later then…_

"Okay, okay! I'll dive right into the story. Yeeesh…"Hughes returned to his seat after dimming the lights to the room even more. "So this was two days ago. A friend of mine and I were—"

"Your boyfriend?" Meldy popped in unexpectedly. He gave her a mocking smile.

"Anyways, this friend and I were patrolling in the Kras district. We were told that there were some strange happenings in one of the abandoned residences home. During the night, the lights of the house would brightly turn on—"

"Squatters perhaps?" This time, Sugar Boy voiced his opinion. The side comment was ignored as Hughes held one finger up and continued…

"—And static would sometimes be heard if one closes in on the house. Worried for the residents nearby, I called it my duty to investigate this curious phenomenon. So this friend of mine, let's call him Jun, and I bravely traversed into the abyss and stepped inside the mouth of this horrid house. The floorboards creaked with every step, protesting, nay, warning its visitors to flee." He stopped for a dramatic pause.

Usually, Erza would pay no attention to her colleague's trivial stories but this seemed somewhat interesting. _Somewhat…_She checked on her King and he was even paler than before. _Is he really frightened by this? No, it must be something else. _His hands were clenched into a fist so hard that one would think he's holding on to dear life. Since the room was underlit, and his hands were under the table, she placed her hand on top of his. The redheaded Captain could feel his hand relax.

Hughes spoke in a more sinister tone than before. "So we were inside. It was dark and gloomy. The shadows played tricks with our minds and danced around at our feet. We searched for any signs of human presence but none were found. We were about to exit the house until static began to disorientate us. We scrambled about, trying to find the source of this overwhelming noise. Our eyes were blurred with the sudden tears that struck us, but even then, we saw a figure. It was a tall, thin man wearing a black suit and tie. His face. The horrors, he had no face. It was white…empty. Long, black shadows encompassed his backside. It stood there. Waiting. Frightened for our lives we ran for the door and never looked back. Sometimes, I feel it around me. He could be in this…." Hughes slammed his hands on the table, causing everybody but Knightwalker to jump from their seats. "room…" He smiled wickedly. " Well, that is the end of my tale. Believe it or don't."

Meldy scowled. "You're so dumb Hughes." Despite her supposed nonchalant attitude, her voice was a bit shaky.

Jellal rose to his feet and cleared his throat. "That was a very good story, Hughes. Well if you don't mind I will be retiring for the night. Good night everyone." He said hastily. Erza stared at his back. He's hiding it well but she could tell that Hughes's story had affected him. After the King left, Erza excused herself as well.

….

_That wasn't real, Jellal. A tall, thin man with no face? No such thing. It's fake. Fake…fake…_The King jumped at the mere rustle of the window curtains. The window was open and the tame wind simply let itself in, cooling anybody it met. _Just the wind._ _Calm down._ It was eerily empty in the hallways of his castle. His heart slowed down as he took a deep breath. He despised stories like the one that Hughes's told. It sounded farfetched but it still rattled him to no end. When he was a child, Patherlily, his valiant friend, used to narrate such stories like that. He shuddered at the thought. He smiled though. It's been awhile since he thought of his friend. _I wonder how he is. _

Side tracked by old memories, Jellal didn't hear the incoming footsteps coming his way. A hand met with his back unexpectedly and he wasn't able to bite down the shriek of panic. He balled his hands and covered his eyes. "Jellal?" The same hand that startled him tried to pry his hands away from his eyes. "It's me. Erza."

"Er—Erza?" He repeated. His eyes were slightly watery and his face began to redden. "Did you just "kyaahh?"" The embarrassed monarch lightly pushed her aside and began walking at an ungodly speed. Baffled as she was, she chased after him. "Your Majesty!" She couldn't hold back the smile at his reaction.

Erza caught up in no time but he wouldn't look at her. "Jellal? Hey…can you stop for a second?" Shockingly, he did and he turned to her. "Sorry for scaring you." The King coughed and waved his hand in front of his face. "I wasn't frightened. I was startled." The pair eyed each other for a minute or so. "You will never let me live this down, will you." Jellal spoke first. "Were you truly afraid of Hughes's story? You do realize that none of that exists. He just has an overtly high imagination." Erza noticed his cheeks still had a tint of red in it. Unable to restrain her actions, she pinched his cheeks. "Who knew His Majesty could be so cute." The smile she hid most of the time was present on her lips.

"Nothing about me is cute." He pouted.

"Do you want me to escort you to your room? I will drive away every evil ghost that would harm you." Jellal declined her offer. "I'll be fine, Erza. Goodnight." Again, he was walking away from her. This was the first time he had actually pushed her away. Most of the times, it was the other way around. She chuckled. If there was one thing she had learned from him, that is how to be persistent.

It didn't take long to match his strides and this time, the Captain made sure to hold his hand. He didn't cry out in fear when her hand linked with his. "I was spooked too if its any consolation." The King scoffed in disbelief. "Sure you did." He glanced down at their hands. "You know, I might be unable to sleep tonight." He pulled her closer to his side. "Do you want me to sleep with you?" Jellal choked in his own saliva. He expected that response but hearing it from her is another thing.

Observing his response, she clarified, "I don't mean it that way." He weakly smiled. Jellal knew what she meant but the way she said it…"I know."

They walked in silence, hands still intertwined. To his chagrin, the couple had arrived in front of his chambers. "Good night then, Erza. And Thank you." He leaned in and gently pecked her cheek. As he stepped into his room, she followed closely behind him. "Erza? What are you…?"

"You said you wouldn't be able to sleep. I'll help you." He blinked furiously. This forward attitude of hers is welcoming but he was not used to it. The King nodded.

"I'll make sure nothing visits you tonight, Jellal." He grinned brightly.

"Thank you."


	28. Not yet

**Happy New Year! I apologize for those who got a double notification...I posted the wrong thing lol. I need sleep**

_Italics = what the characters are thinking_

…

"Cap…tain." Ultear panted. "Do you not listen? I called out for you several times and not once did you acknowledge me." Knightwalker looked at the other woman through her periphery and mocked an apology. "You walk so damn fast." Ultear cleared her throat and smoothed out her wrinkled top.

"Speak then, if you have something to say." Knightwalker's aloof personality somehow confounded Ultear. The female Captain always distances herself from Ultear and it puzzled the raven-haired woman. What has she done to deserve such treatment? _It is time to break the ice._

"Are you busy?"

"Yes."

"Good!" Ultear clapped her hands cheerily and linked her arm with the Captain's. "Let's go shopping!"

…

Knightwalker thought the rigorous training session she established for the recruits were tough. Going from vendor to vendor with Ultear exhausted her mental state but she would be lying if she did not admit it was an entertaining afternoon. The amount of skill and patience to haggle with shopkeepers that Ultear exhibited impressed the Captain quite a bit. The redhead woman would have merely walked away or better yet; she would have not placed herself in that kind of situation. Haggling equals patience, an attribute she doesn't have.

They strolled through a park and Ultear pointed out an unoccupied bench nearby. "I need a breather. We gathered quite a haul here." They plopped down on the bench.

"We should've brought Captain Hughes or Sugar Boy to carry our bags." Knightwalker corrected her. "You mean yours." The redhead suddenly smirked. "Perhaps Jellal should have came. To use our king as a mule to carry the bags would have been a sight to behold." Ultear giggled at the image and then an idea struck her. "Or perhaps we could have made him try on a dress. I could see him in a nice fuchsia gown." Knightwalker chortled at her suggestion. "We could also find him a matching purse while we're at it." The women continued their mirthful conversation, at the expense of the King.

"Thank you, Captain. This excursion of ours was simply delightful! It was like a girl's day out, wouldn't you agree? Shame Meldy isn't here. She's hiding something from me. It's probably a boy." Erza threw her a small smile. "Perhaps so." G_irl's day out, huh. I suppose it's quite rare for me to spend any time with another female. _Ultear lightheartedly nudge the captain's arm. "Since you spent the whole day doing what I like to do, let us embark on an activity that you like to do in your spare time**.**"

Erza scooted away from the dark haired woman when she grabbed the redhead's arm. "So what's your favorite past time?" Ultear asked. The grip tightened. She thought about it for a second before replying. "I like to hit things." The captain uttered in a deadpan tone, hoping the other woman would be dissuaded but unfortunately, she become more and more persistent as Erza pushed her more away.

"Oh my. That's no way for the future queen of this kingdom should behave. Think of a more peaceful activity. You know, something that requires less blood, and more passive interactions. How about sewing? That way we could initiate that friendly, womanly bond we need more of." Ultear's words filtered out towards the ends because Knightwalker latched on to the woman's first sentence. Did she hear correctly?

"Reiterate please. What you just said."

"That way we could initiate that friendly, womanly-" Before she could finish, the redhead interrupted her.

"No, before that."

"How about sewing?"

"No."

"Something that requires less blood-" The captain impatiently gritted her teeth and pointed her index at Ultear. "Your first sentence." Ultear recalled the beginning and she tried to avert her gaze from Knightwalker as she released Erza's arm but in reflex, the captain grappled onto the other woman's arm to prevent her from escaping.

"Oh the future queen bit?" Erza nodded. "Oh yes, Jellal constantly speaks about you and one topic he seems to always venture on is your future with him. " Her tone sounded casual, as if she was discussing the weather or what she will have for dinner. "It is rather adorable and—" Knightwalker's brow furrowed deeper as the voice of Ultear fades into an incoherent noise in the background. She looked at the ground below and concentrated at the passing centipede that crawled its way on the tip of her boot. Has she thought about it? She has thought about him but not their future. In fact, it never crossed her mind. She would rather just see where the chips would fall than think about what will happen next. Erza's mouth formed a small "o".

"He once quipped that if he didn't speak to anyone about his overwhelming feelings towards you, he would literally combust. To…" Ultear trails on as she realized that Erza wasn't listening to her anymore.

"Captain, are you there?" She didn't reply and dark haired woman assumed that she had stopped listening but then Erza began talking.

"You know…" Knightwalker spoke in a hushed manner. "Before I met him, I found most men dull and boring. Most held a notion that I was something to be tamed, to be dominated. Of course, I proved them wrong and I stopped caring for them. For all of them." She took a deep breath. "But him." Erza paused. "He made me feel these blasted emotions that I never wanted to feel. I—" A conflicted expression lingered on her face before it was completely wiped a way. "To me, he is the one. To me, he eclipse and predominates the whole of his gender." Ultear glance at the quiet captain through her periphery and smiled. She said nothing to her and merely tapped her on the shoulder.

"Do not discuss anything to him about what was said today." She received an understanding look from Ultear. "What did you say?" At last, a full smile swept Erza's lips. "Now let us head back, Captain. I am famished and I would like to return to the castle since night is approaching us."

Motioning to help Ultear with her bags, the Captain rose up from her seat and carried some of the heaviest bags. "Oh thank you, Erza. Now let us be off."

…

_Later in the evening…_

The light pounding on the door woke Jellal up from his stupor. Abruptly, he lifted his head from the surface of the mahogany desk and the paper he was evaluating before he dozed off stuck on his cheek. "Your Majesty?" The muffled voice of Captain Knightwalker came from the other side, but it took a minute before her voice finally registered. He smacked his lips lazily and opened the door for her. Right off the bat, she looked at him apprehensively. "Paper. Face." He immediately ripped the adhesive like paper from his cheek, and was little embarrassed that she had caught that. "Is that part of the reviewing process, your Majesty?" The King cleared his throat. "Yes. It is a meticulous process, I assure you Captain."

He looked at the tray she was carefully balancing in her hands. "Erza, I do not think I can finish two plates. Unless…" Knightwalker hurriedly ushered him forward and instructed him to close the door. Shooting the King with her infamous glare, he quickly cleared his desk so she could settle the tray down. "You weren't present during dinner again…His Majesty doesn't eat at proper intervals but I'll scold you at another time." He unwrapped the utensils from the cloth napkin. "Since I haven't eaten…and well you haven't…" His smile grew wider "…just shut up, King." She explained, stuttering slightly at the end. The sound of his musical laugh chimed in her ears. "Mock me will you? Fine. I will take my leav—" His hand stopped her. "Now, now Captain. Do not be so sensitive." Jellal placed an unoccupied chair beside his own. The King gaily patted the cushioned seat, signaling for her to sit her down. His mirthful grin never left his face. He was beaming with joy.

They took their seats beside each other. His chestnut eyes loitered on her face as she forked a slice of meat on her plate. Innocently, she sniffed it twice before placing it her mouth. _Why is she distrustful of a chicken? _She did this several times, chewing a sliver slowly at first, and then finally gradually coming into terms with the taste. She gave a nodding approval and he found it, dare he say it, cute. From her peripheral, she noticed he had been staring and cast her signature glare his way. She asked, "Why are you not eating?" He answered with a brilliant smile. "Pay me no mind." Returning to his plate, he sliced the soft part of the meat when all of a sudden, an idea flickered in his mind. He stabbed a chunk of it and offered it to her.

She looked at him. Jellal pointed to her mouth, gesturing her to open it. "Captain, you are supposed to eat it from my fork and not just gawk at it. Go on." After a minute or so of coaxing, she finally complied. "Good. Now your turn." He opened his mouth, gesturing for her to feed him in the same manner as he did to her.

Erza stared at him blankly. "Jellal." Thoughts about what she had said to Ultear streamed in her mind like an endless waterfall. _I love you._

"Yes?" He waited for her speak but she remained silent. She stabbed the chicken with her fork and placed it in front of his mouth. He gaped at the piece of meat. "Don't gawk at it, eat it." Jellal chuckled to himself. He didn't think she would do it but then again, she has never failed to surprise him.

"Did you want to say something, Erza?"

"Nothing yet."

…

**Happy New Year! Happy happy new year! To those who have been following this fic from the beginning, thank you for sticking with me and if you're just joining us now, thank you for taking the time reading and I hope you are enjoying this story of mine :D **

**I'll see you cool people later :D**


	29. Always

Whoa, another update? In the same month?

I hope you all enjoy this one :D

…

He opened the sliding glass door to the balcony.

She took heed of his presence and the plate of cake he was holding, however, she quickly swiveled her head away when he noticed her interest in it.

"Erza…"

"Hmmm?"

He abruptly held up a silver fork in front of the Captain's face and jokingly waved the plate of strawberry cake close to her like he was teasing her with it. "Cake?"

She stared at the baked dessert that covered the whole diameter of the fancy dishware. "You know I detest sweets of any nature." He blinked.

"You never told me why. Are you on a diet?" Playfully, he asked. He didn't peg her as a type of woman who was into that sort of thing. She evaded his query by commenting on his face. "Your stupid face is bothering me." He laughed. "You wound me. Now…" Easing her up for a bite, the King forked a small piece for her to try. "Jellal, I do not want any." Coaxing her was difficult and after several attempts at feeding her, both her cheeks were smeared with the frosting of the cake.

Knightwalker glared at him but said nothing. She snatched the only napkin that he had and wiped her face. "Just one bite. I swear you'll love it." Scratching her head, she sighed and caved in to his wishes.

"A single bite will appease you?" He enthusiastically nodded his head. Once again, the fork was obnoxiously by the entrance of her mouth. An eager Jellal was smiling at her, waiting. She finally brought the fork in her mouth and the immediate sweet flavor of the cake invaded her taste buds. First, she chewed slowly, evaluating the familiar textures of the dessert. It was not bad and the delightful treat was what Erza needed at the moment.

"Captain?"

Various surges of expressions swept her usual calm face and the worried monarch took this as a sign indicating that the sweet treat wasn't agreeing with her. "Is this your first time eating a cake?"

"No." She casted her eyes down and avoided his eyes. She suddenly relieved him of the plate and consumed more of the confection. "This is horrible. Who would eat a plate of sugar? Mhhm…" This was the first time he ever witnessed her pigging out on anything. "There is more inside…" He wasn't sure if she heard him.

Her moans of satisfaction from the cake were beginning to brew something else in Jellal. "Are you sure you do not like it?" She cleared her throat. "Actually, this one is passable." He looked at her with doubt. "Only passable? Because by the way you were eating, I was starting to get jealous of the fork." The captain grinned.

"I am just suspicious of sweet delicacies such as this because of a small mishap that happened when I was child. Perhaps I was twelve at the time. Saria, whom you have met and another sibling, Gwen, had used me as a guinea pig and I was gullible enough to eat their repugnant mess. A horrid combination, those two. They made me a cake and it wasn't even my birthday yet."

He shook off the urge to hug her during her story. The disgusted expression on her face was priceless and it made him smile. Rarely does she ever talk about her family like this. "Well, today is your birthday and I'm glad you thought the strawberry cake was passable. I chose it myself. I had a feeling you would like it." His lips curved up as if he was smiling at an inside joke. She took note of it but said nothing about it.

"Thank you. I'm grateful for the party and thankful that his Majesty did not make a big deal out of it this year as I feared he would." He covered his mouth with his hand to hide his dimpled smile and she eyed him dubiously. "You were planning to make a big deal out of it. Like last year and the year before that."

He chuckled before replying. "That was my initial scheme but I know that is something you would not want so I settled for a tamer party." She scoffed at his words. _Tamer party_, she repeated in her head. "You could have brought me a drink to go with the cake." On cue, he reached inside his jacket and handed her a small bottle of wine. "Way ahead of you, sweetheart." He held out his index finger, signaling for her to way another second and reached in the other side of his jacket. He revealed a thin wine glass. "I only have one though." He poured the glass halfway and handed it to her but she declined.

"You keep the glass. I'll be confiscating this bottle from you." She lovingly stared at the now uncorked bottle and swigged some down. "This is quality wine, Jellal. Not too heavy but not too weak." She kept nodding her head as her critique of the wine came pouring out of her mouth.

"Only for the best." He dug inside his front pocket and presented her a black velvet box big enough to hold a necklace in it. There was a simple silver bow adorned on the top of it. "Anyways, I have two gifts for you and here's number one."

Erza raised her brow in surprise. "Is your jacket's pockets bottomless? What else you got in there?"

"Open it."

"Very well." And she did. In the box was a beautiful argent chain. A miniature silver spear hanged from it. The end tip of the ornament was chipped off and it didn't look new. The color was dull, contrasting the new chain it dangled from. Her face fell as she realized the person that this used to belong to.

It was hers.

"Where did you get this—no don't. I know where you got this from. From my father—no, my adopted father." Taking a long deep breath, she closed the box and returned it to him. Swiftly, she gathered all those painful emotions that leaked out of that lockbox she keeps inside her and stashed them all away.

"I'm assuming my father had informed you who gave this to me." He bobbed his head for a yes. "My mother. The dead one. The one that was murdered, right along with my real father, by monsters who thought it would be fun to do so. I've told you about this, haven't I?" A pained smile lingered on her face. "Look, there was a reason why I chucked it in the garbage. I don't— I had a decade or so to mourn. To deal with my loss and I've handled it well. So let's not go there." She scanned his expression and it remained as pensive as ever.

"Please…"

He sighed. "Keep it. Wear it, don't wear it, that is fine but your mother would have—" Erza lightly slapped his mouth.

"The dead do not have opinions." She gritted her teeth in anger. "Clearly, my dear papa entrusted you with this so why didn't he give it to me himself?"

"He thought you wouldn't accept it if it came from him." Jellal succinctly explained.

The redhead emptied the bottle with one gulp. "He was right." They averted gazing at each other.

Then, Jellal spoke. "You haven't dealt with your pain, Erza. I still see it in your eyes from time to time. It persists within you." A grimaced laugh came out of her. "You know, I could say the same thing about you."

His eyes widened. "When you believe no one is looking, your façade darkens and your eyes dims, different from your usual bright demeanor. Hurt. Loneliness. All there." There was something stuck in his throat. He wasn't aware that his captain observed him with that level of detail. "I always look at you. Always."

"So do not tell me that I have not dealt with my pain when obviously you are in the same position." Before he could say something to defend himself, she stopped him. "Tell me, don't tell me, I do not care either way. All and all, there are some feelings that need to stay inside even if it is unhealthy to keep it there."

Speechless, he absorbed all that she had said but he still could not find his tongue. "This became serious quite fast, huh?" To lighten the air between them, she playfully massaged his tense shoulders. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to make you feel uncomfortable even though that is what you did to me. I know that was not your intention." She nudged his side. "Shall we head back to the grand party? It is my birthday and I need to be more intoxicated than this."

Since he could not find any other words to say, he will respond another way. "Wait." She gasped when he lunged for her. He buried his long fingers in her soft scarlet locks and their lips connected, as he pulled her in for a ravenous kiss. He cradled her head, shifting the angles as he deepened the kiss. His lips were gentle and she reciprocated his kiss without hesitation. There was a low rumble of satisfaction in his chest, like the purr of a cat.

She grasped at his hair and tangled her fingers in his messy mane as they explored each other more. Soon, Jellal released her and trailed wet kisses down the curve of her neck. She gasped for air, dazed and a bit lightheaded from the lack of oxygen in her lungs. "That was gift number two." His voice came of as strained and hoarse.

"Well, you could have opened with that, sir. That way we did not have to talk." He rested his forehead on hers. "Jellal, we will talk. You will talk as well." She placed emphasis on the word "you." He brushed his lips against hers.

"I drank some wine, you might have…well you. Tasted it. Do you feel drunk?" He chuckled lightheartedly. "Gods, Erza. I am not that lightweight."

"Just checking before I bring you back to the party." He held her hand.

Her words echoed in his head. _I always look at you. Always._

For some reason, he dreads the day they would finally talk.

…

Hey, thanks for dropping by! Leave a review, comment, whatever. I love hearing (err reading) what you guys have to say. Someone wrote that they felt that they were being harsh on their critique but I take that into account so go ahead. Also, if anyone has some scenarios they would like to see these two in, hit me up with those! You never know (Just keep it PG-13.)

Have a wonderful day, you lovely readers!


	30. Sweets and Whips

Cameo Appearance(s): Coco, Natsu Dragion and Lucy Ashley (yeah I threw some Edo NaLu so if you don't like NaLu of any sort, alt F/cmd F to Later that evening for some Edo Erza/Jellal but hopefully you guys read everything J)

Note: _Italics = _a character's thoughts.

…

_**The supermarket…**_

Natsu Dragion scoured the stored for the items that he needed. "Now, what did Lucy want again?" He stared at the list that she had given him and sighed wearily. She always orders him to do errands for her and it is a bit tiring but for some reason, he just cannot say no to her. Perhaps it's to avoid harm but the blonde woman hasn't been trying out her "torture techniques" on him for quite some time so maybe she just grew out of that. With all that's been going on, Lucy has been busy with the guild and doing her errands for her wouldn't hurt that much.

Aisle after aisle, he gathered all the stuff Lucy required. "Man, how much ChocoSticks can she need anyways?" Natsu smiled. She always had a sweet tooth. Then, an idea hit him. "Maybe I should make something for her. Yeah. Some brownies perhaps?" He didn't know how to bake brownies but it should not be too bad…right? He walked over to the section where the ingredients for baked goods were located. Over by the distance, he could see a familiar figure. Her scarlet hair was tied in a ponytail and she was wearing a light navy blouse. It was matched with black pants. This is the first time he has ever seen this woman looking like a normal civilian. "Should I go say hi?" Natsu mentally kicked himself. Never once has he ever approached Knightwalker without the presence of Lucy so why should he now? Observing her for a bit, he noticed that she was holding a box for brownies.

Over by Erza's side, she could feel somebody's eyes on her. She glanced through her periphery and saw that it was the person that accompanies Lucy Ashley almost everywhere she goes. _What is that fairy boy staring at? _She ignored it for now and grabbed three boxes of brownie mix. _Damn, Ultear and Jellal. Why the hell do I have to do this? _She always loses at rock, paper, scissor. _**** them… _She heard a frightful squeak and it came from Natsu. She must have been doing something to elicit that reaction.

"Are you all right, Captain Knightwalker?" She glared at him. "Okay, I'll leave you alone."

Minutes have passed and Natsu decided he would just try his best and make some brownies for his dear friend. He grabbed a few boxes of brownie mix.

"I am fine." Knightwalker voiced out. "I apologize."

"For what, Captain Knightwalker?"

An awkward silence engulfed the two. Breaking the ice with her is tough, considering Fairy Tail's relationship with the cool Captain in the past. " Are you making some brownies too?" Whether she realized it or not, she pouted when he asked that question. "I lost in rock, paper, scissor." She responded, as if that would answer his question. Natsu blankly stared at her. "Oh…"

"So you know how to make them?" He started to panic when she didn't say anything else to him. Has he insulted her? "I'm not saying that you know how to make them cuz you're a girl. I mean you seem to be good at a lot of things. I…" He stuttered out. His eyes dejectedly hovered down on his shoes when he received no response from her.

"Yes. I can make them."

"Oh, you can? Would you mind helping me? If you have time…if it's not too much trouble. I wanted to do something for Lucy. I know it's not much but it needs to be delicious. I'm not very good at a lot of things so…" She smacked his head. He froze. _Am I going to die?_

"Fine. I have time right now. Let us go."

...

_**Natsu's apartment…**_

Natsu rubbed his head nervously. If he knew somebody was coming over, he would have cleaned up a bit. Good thing he's not really a packrat like Lucy. _Then again, I wasn't really planning to do this. _

They settled down in his small kitchen and got started. Natsu followed the Captain's instructions on the nose. When he made a mistake, surprisingly, she didn't yell at him. When the brownies were done, Erza handed something to him. "Here. Take these." It was a decorative heart shape cutter. "Ummm, why hearts, Captain Knightwalker?"

"Is it not for Ashley?

"Yes, it's for Lucy but why hearts?"

"Because it is for Ashley. Are you not her boyfriend?" Natsu's cheeks flushed as red as the Captain's hair. "What, no! She's a good friend."

"You two are always together." He waved his hand dismissively, and denied her claim. "So? You and his Majesty are always together." She frowned. "It is my duty to protect him so I must be near at almost every time."

He knew she wasn't telling the whole truth but he let it go. "Oh, I guess that makes sense, Captain." Regardless of how he felt about the heart shape cutter, he began cutting the brownies into small heart shape pieces. He just hopes it does not give Lucy any ideas. "Perhaps, I want to protect her too, even though I know she is much stronger than I." Knightwalker's mouth opened to say something but she was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Oh, let me get that." Natsu walked over to the door and opened it. "Hey Natsu, glad you're home. Have you seen where my brown jacket went? You know, the one with tons of pockets. Can't seem to find it." He informed her of where it could be. "Hmmm, maybe it could be the—" She sniffed. Her nose alerted her to something sweet. "What are you making in there, huh?" He blocked the door to prevent his friend from entering any further. "What are doing, Natsu? Why are you wearing an apron, eh?" She grabbed him for a headlock. "Lucy, can't…breathe…"

"You two get a room." Erza popped her head out of the kitchen.

"YOU! What is she doing here, Natsu?" She tightened her grip on him. "Lucy, Captain Knightwalker was helping me with something." For a second there, she loosened her hold. "What could she possibly help you with?" She finally released her poor friend and stomped over to Knightwalker. "Don't Lucy. It's supposed to be a surprise!" The pink-haired lad grabbed her shoulders and basically hugged her to stop her from progressing towards the kitchen. She was caught off guard by his bold action. "Natsu." She lightly placed her hand on his.

"YOU GOT SOME NERVE!" She flipped the tables on Natsu by throwing him over her shoulders and slamming him on the ground. She pushed the door to the kitchen. "What the hell?"

"Ashley, you two are too noisy." The nonchalant captain pulled out a few batches of cookies from the oven. "Tch, I think I made too much." Lucy's mouth hanged wide open. This woman doing anything domestic never once occurred to her and why should it? "Cookies? Brownies? You were helping Natsu with baking?" Lucy slumped her shoulders. Now she feels slightly bad for throwing him on the ground.

"Yes. As a royal army captain, what better way to hone my skills than to spend my day helping someone make disgusting confections in order to please his lady friend" Lucy gritted her teeth. The redhead's mocking tone annoyed her to no end.

Natsu sprinted into the kitchen after he regained his composure. "Lucy! I told you. I wanted it to be a surprise. You know, it's just little bit of something for all you've done for the guild." Lucy's pleased grin became more apparent this time. "It's not just me, Natsu. Everybody has been helping out, including you." The pair smiled at each other, oblivious to the Captain's presence. It wasn't until Knightwalker cleared her throat that they snapped out of it. Lucy automatically changed her attitude and eyed daggers at the captain.

"So, uhhh…the weather is nice today." Knightwalker arched her brow quizzically at the blonde woman's words. "Do not feel the need to engage small talk with me, Ashley. It does not suit you." Lucy said nothing. _Fine, I wont! Bitch…_

Knightwalker began packing some of the brownies that weren't decorated with hearts into a medium sized container. "I'll be borrowing this." Natsu surveyed the kitchen and discovered that there is enough for the entire guild. "This is plenty, Captain. Is that all you're going to bring with you?"

"It is enough. I will not be eating any. Distribute it to your fairy friends…Greg and company." Both Lucy and Natsu blinked in confusion. As far as they know, there wasn't anybody in the guild name Greg. To elaborate, Knightwalker continued. "The one who wears layers of clothes at a ridiculous amount."

"That's Gray, Knightwalker." Erza gathered what she needed and headed for the exit. "I do not care, Ashley." Lucy crossed her arms and glared at the back of the redheaded Captain's head.

Natsu blinked. "Wait, Captain!" Curiously, she half turned her body to listen to what he has to say. "Thank you for today!" She simply waved her hand and left the apartment.

When they were finally alone, the blonde woman gazed at his direction.

"Natsu."

"Yeah, Lucy?"

"Come here." Innocently, he walked to her. She circled her arms around his waist. Natsu was shocked at her gentle touch but then…

"Torture technique number 37, the torso stretcher!"

"Lucy, please don't that!"

...

_**Later that evening…**_

Erza stared at the king with disgust. In his right mind, he thought what he was doing was right. She blinked. "How many can he get in that tiny thing?" The captain muttered to herself. Jellal was blissfully unaware that she was staring at him as he continued to relentlessly pour sugar cubes in his coffee. "Just a bit more." He basically spilled all of the sugar cubes in his drink. A mountain of white cubes crowded the top of his beverage. He sipped slowly, content with its sugary taste.

"Pray tell, how is that King?"

"It tastes like coffee, Captain. How else?" She looked at him dubiously. "Obviously." He stared at his companion's drink and compared to his caramel colored coffee, hers was a pit of bitter despair.

"How does that taste, Captain?"

"It tastes like coffee, your Majesty. How else?" He clicked his tongue. "Would you like some milk?" The king asked. She raised her mug to her lips and sipped loudly.

"No." She answered.

"No?" He repeated.

"Yes, no."

He smacked his lips together as if he tasted something revolting. He needed something to rid of the bad taste lingering on his tongue. The king reached for a piece of brownie that Erza had brought in some time ago. "I cannot believe you made some. You do realize Ultear and I were just joking with you." He happily bit into the softness of the small brown cake and was pleased. "I lost."

He chuckled. "You lost at rock, paper, scissor." She clenched her fist and glared at him. "A loss is a loss." Of course she would take this seriously. "Right, Captain. Anyways, where did you make this? You left sometime after breakfast." How was she going to explain this? She could just tell him the truth but…"I borrowed a person's kitchen." That is sort of what happened, she rationalized. However, he didn't believe her fully. "At a friend's?" She never replied and stood up to open the door.

"Oh good evening Captain Knightwalker. I didn't even knock yet." Coco grabbed a piece of paper from her messenger bag. "I received a small note from Fairy Tail, addressed to you Captain." Erza made no sudden reaction to the note and flipped it open to read its contents. Seconds later, she nodded. "Thank you, Coco."

"You're welcome Captain. Good evening. To you as well, your Majesty." The young girl bowed her head down and ran to another task she was tending to.

Jellal eyed his Captain's expression. There was nothing and it puzzled him. "What did Fairy Tail say—" She tossed the note into the garbage. "Captain!" He scrambled to his feet and retrieved the note from the can. Good thing the trash has been recently emptied.

The note read:

_Thank you._

_ -FT_

_P.S. I still hate you (Ashley)_

An amused smile formed on his lips when he read Lucy's little side comment."Thank you for what, Erza? Did you do something nice for them again?" She snatched the note back and threw it away once more. "As you wish. You don't want to discuss it with me." Since they weren't going to talk about this any longer, he better give her the present her sisters dropped off earlier in the day. He walked over to his desk and bended down. "What are you doing?" He carried a large box and placed it on her lap. It had some weight to it and she wondered what in the world it could be.

"Your sisters dropped it off. You weren't here so I made sure to keep it for you until you came back." She noticed he said sisters. It was plural, meaning more than one. The captain gulped. The redhead was afraid to ask. "Sisters?" The king smiled. "Yes, sisters. Miss Saria and I believe the other one was Gwen. It's a belated birthday present from her." There was a strange strangled noise that came out of Erza. Rarely does he ever see her this frightened.

Knightwalker narrowed her eyes and shook her head, as if she was trying to dismiss a nightmare from her head. "Captain? Will you open it?" She glared at him accusingly, as if he did a wrong deed. "Absolutely not." Was it so terrible that she couldn't even bring herself to open a present from her sister? "You don't even know what's inside." She snorted. Of course she knew what was inside. It came from those two. It will be horrible. "Just open it, Erza." She began untying the ribbon. "If you insist." Once she unwrapped the box, she lifted the lid.

"Oh." Jellal gawked at Erza's "wonderful" surprise.

"Oh? OH?! Did I not tell you it would be appalling? For **** sake!" He reached out for one of the items. He has never held one before. "A whip? How do you use this?" He grabbed another item and dangled it on his pointer finger. "Fluffy handcuffs? What's this? Pear—" She seized the grisly thing and threw it back into the box. "I swear those two."

Curiosity got the best of him when he saw something leathery. He laid the article of "clothing" in front of the Captain. It looked like a one-piece swimsuit, only instead of cloth; it was made out of leather.

"Interesting fabric. I don't think this would fit me, Erza." She laughed at his absurd statement. "Your sisters sure have a strange sense of humor." Once again, she took what he was holding and set it back to its original location. "The whip, Jellal. Hand it over." He was playing with it. "How would one wield such a weapon like this?" Her hand latched onto his forearm and stared dangerously at his eyes. "I'll show you." Taken aback by her forwardness, he whispered, "You would?"

"Of course not idiot. Now give it back." He handed it back without complaint but as soon as her guard was down…

Click…

"Jellal!" He handcuffed their hands together. It took her a few minutes to fully register what just happened. "Where is the key, Jellal?" He feigned innocence and looked away from her. "I don't know, Captain." She smirked. "The jokes on you. I know how to pick locks." His lips protruded in a sulky pout. " But it's in my pockets. One of them, that is. Search me."

"Give me a clue, King." He grinned with mischief. "You will have to feel for it." Erza licked her lips. "Fine. I will play your game."

…

Hey readers thanks for the reads, favorites and reviews. I've been meaning to write Knightwalker's interactions with Edo Fairy Tail for quite sometime so expect more of it. Of course, our Mystogan will be included next time. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have pleasant day.


	31. Sleepless

Short update. Enjoy!

…

Knightwalker blankly stared at the King's sleeping face. She leaned her elbow against the armrest of the chair. "How long are you going to sleep?" The captain muttered impatiently. For two hours she sat there waiting for him to wake from his deep slumber but he never stirred. Not having the heart to rouse him from his sleep, she simply picked up the chair and moved to the right side of his bed. She crossed her legs and glance at the clock on his bedside table.

It read 6:30 a.m. _He doesn't wake up for another 2 hours._

"I'm bored Jellal." She said under her breath. Once again she picked up the chair and changed her location. Night times are the most agonizing parts of her life. Her body would not cooperate with her and sleep quietly like the man sleeping before her. Mind you, she does sleep but when it does somehow arrive, she would only be woken up from nightmares.

She unbuckled her boots and threw them on the side. "So bored." Minutes rolled on by and next thing you know, half an hour had passed. "Wake up!" She whispered rather loudly. Jellal shifted in his sleep and it startled her. If she woke him up earlier than expected, she would feel bad but then she will not be as bored as she is now. There was a strange moan that came out from his mouth, followed by an utterance of her name. Blindly searching for a pillow, once he found it, he hugged it and smiled.

"What are you dreaming about?" A spark of envy kindled within her. She wanted to sleep soundlessly like him. Staring at his sleeping form, she was almost tempted to jump in and perhaps she will finally be lulled to sleep. "Tch." She stood up and sat by the edge of his bed. Unexpectedly, a soft object hit her head and she realized that he threw a pillow at her head. She gritted her teeth and violently grabbed the pillow to smack him. When she turned to face him, his eyes were still closed. _Is he faking it?_ His breathing remained steady.

She leaned closely to his face, waiting for a reaction from him. If he is truly awake, he will feel her close proximity. _Are you..._

Strong arms suddenly coiled around her waist and pulled her towards his cozy body. "Captain, is there something you need?" His voice was husky and slurred. One eye was lazily opened and it was directly focused on her. "Are you awake now?" She felt a low rumble from his chest. "Not yet." A groan escaped from her lips. She had a feeling that would be his response.

"Why not?" There was a slight childish tone present in her voice. He conjured up a dopey smile. "You're awake rather early, Erza. Nightmares again?" Frowning at him, she said nothing and turned her head away.

"You just need to wake up now, Jellal. " The tired monarch sighed deeply and closed his eyes again. "You need to rest, Captain. Sleep here for a few hours." She squirmed in his arms. _Stubborn woman. _"Can I have a few more minutes? Please." Tightening his arms around her, he tucked his face in the crook of her neck and breathed in her scent. He sucked a small area of her, making a red mark in the process. "What are you doing?" Knightwalker lifted her head up and looked at him accusingly. All the response she received from him was a lazy smile.

"I will give you thirty more minutes. After that, prepare yourself if you continue to remain in bed. Understand?"

True to her word, she did give him that much time. She left the room and prepared breakfast for him. When she returned, he was still sleeping soundly and she sighed for the umpteenth time that morning. The captain laid the tray down gently on a table and tapped her foot. Her eyes wandered towards his face. _I give up._

Chucking off her boots, she anxiously crept towards the side of his bed and slipped in the covers. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

It was warm…

Comfortable…

Soon, she finally drifted to sleep. Whether it was from sheer exhaustion or the fact that the dozing king had a relaxing effect on her, sleep ultimately reached her and her body can finally relax.

He opened one eye when he felt a light pressure on his chest.

"I see you took my advice."

…:)…

_During the afternoon…_

"Captain Knightwalker " Ultear examined the woman carefully. They were walking towards the training hall since the Captain had drawn the short end of the straw and instruct the new recruits. "What is that mark on your neck? It's very red." Knightwalker's gloved hand automatically slapped that marked side of her neck. Sugar Boy had asked the same query earlier. _Damn you, Jellal. _"Insect bite." A devious smirk formed on the raven-haired woman's lips.

"Of course Captain. That insect must have loved your neck in that case." The redhead sped up her pace and left the other woman behind. This one time she didn't wear her scarf. _It will disappear but I swear if someone comments it again…_

Erza smiled. She'll have to pay him back for this.

…


	32. Missing

**Happy New Year to everyone! I know I wasn't so active this year but life got in the way, unfortunately. I will try to update more religiously because I do enjoy writing this story.**

**Read on, my fellow readers. Read on!**

…

Sugar Boy lifted the paintbrush and swung away in a blissful and colorful dance. "Amazing, Sugar Boy! What are you doing?" Hughes gleefully stood behind his blonde haired friend and watched in amazement as Sugar Boy's brushstrokes intensified. "Colors, Hughes. I am adding color to my painting." Hughes picked up his brush and attempted to create something as rich and vibrant as Sugar Boy's. Sitting on the left of Hughes was a young woman with pink hair and a mischievous grin was plastered on her face. With a flick of a brush, she stained his canvas with a color he wasn't planning on adding. "Meldy, you ruined my amazing drawing." His drawing looked like a disfigured dog, or a cat, or something else entirely. Either way, it was now caked with a brownish-reddish hue. Hughes was planning on coloring it yellow. "I was going to color it." The dark haired Captain growled and was about to counter but he was interrupted by someone.

"Children, please. Enough." Ultear stood there with her hands on her hips and shook her head at the childish display they were exhibiting. "Today we are calm…peaceful." She glanced at the sleeping Byro who was leaning and drooling on his canvas. Apparently, the old chief of staff was too calm.

"We all agreed on this, yes? No fighting understand?" In response, the bickering duo nodded their heads. However, as soon as Ultear turned around, Hughes made his strike and dipped the soft bristles into a jar of black paint. He wildly swung the paint dripping brush and it got Meldy, all right, but not without causing casualties.

A dangerous low rumble erupted from the person that got hit by paint from his careless attack. "Hughes…" Captain Erza Knightwalker leaped from her seat and pinned Hughes on the hard cold wall. "Hey, Erza. The color black suits you." He laughed nervously. The redhead's lips twitched in annoyance.

"Does it, Hughes? Do you know what color would suit you?" Saying no, Hughes gulped when she picked up his brush. "Let me show you!" Erza launched a series of swipes that colored the entirety of his face. "Don't forget orange, Captain Knightwalker!" Meldy cheered on.

Surveying at the front of the meeting room turned art room, Ultear could only sighed gloomily. There goes her day of serenity.

The King chuckled at his animated redheaded Captain. At first she wasn't as interested in painting but right now she seemed quite immersed, albeit at the cost of Hughes' face. Jellal shifted his attention on Knightwalker's blank white canvas and stepped towards it since she was distracted for the moment. There was nothing on the surface but earlier, she isolated herself in a corner of the room and began doodling on a piece of paper. While nothing was there currently, he noticed that there was a folded paper tucked in behind the canvas. Flipping it over, he was surprised at what he saw.

Etched on the smooth paper was a man. He donned a long tailed tuxedo and his hands were tucked inside his pockets. He wore a playful smile on his face, as if he was teasing you, mocking you even. His hair was a slicked back, with a couple strands of hair shadowing his eyes. Every detail about this man, every dimple, every wrinkle, was evident in the drawing, as if there was a need in giving life to the person on the picture. There was precision and also care in each line, in each stroke.

"Is this supposed to be me?" If this was him being depicted in this artwork, he seemed more regal than usual. Was this how Erza saw him? "Impressive." He had no inkling of an idea that Erza possessed such aptitude in drawing. He marveled at his portrait and the further he admired it, it dawned on him that out of all things, out of all vastness of the world, out of all who dwelled within the royal city, and out of all the splendor in the castle she chose to draw him and only him.

_Me…_

A feeling wells from within him and he realized that he was touched by this. However, there was something missing in the picture. Something crucial that needed to be added.

The back of Jellal's head suddenly collided with something solid. "Hey, moron! Who gave you permission to peer through my belongings?" Knightwalker snatched the paper from his hands so fast he barely had time to react. She stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her with a loud thud. "Captain, wait!" The king called out, ignoring the questioning stares the others had given him. He rushed out the door to follow her out but the same woman he was chasing soon ambushed him. The redhead grabbed him by the collar. "Jellal." Her face was dangerously close to his that he could feel her hot breath against his skin.

"Do you want to die?" She said venomously.

Wanting some clarification, he asked, "For taking a glimpse at your drawing?"

"I didn't give you permission." Amused by her outrage and slightly reddened cheeks, the King went in and tested the waters. Pinching her cheeks, he stretched them until he forced a smile on her face. "You are adorable when embarrassed." She slapped his hands away and grumbled. The captain avoided eye contact with him. "There's nothing to be shy about. You are quite good, Captain. You never told me you can draw."

"Why should I? It's a useless skill." Catching the redheaded captain off guard, the Edolas King cupped her cheeks and pecked her lightly on the lips. "That's not true at all. I believe any form of art, in your case your drawing, is a doorway into the soul, an outlet for the spirit, a cathartic means of expression. It lets you share your insights with the world in a way that words cannot. It transcends the boundaries that the physical world imposes upon us. In other words, it is absolutely not a useless skill." She never thought about it that way.

He did have his way when it came to opening her eyes.

Turning her head to the side, she finally detected that all this time, they had an audience.

From the doorway, Ultear, Meldy, and the two captains watched their drama unfold. Sugar Boy wiped the tears from his eyes. "Milord, those words were spoken so gracefully. Beautiful!" He clapped his hand. "Yeah. They were pretty amazing!" Hughes chimed in. As a retort, Meldy had to say something to the gleeful Captain. "I bet you didn't even understand what he said." Hughes glared at her. "Shut up, pinky!"

Knightwalker blankly gawked at the others. Were they watching this entire time, she wondered. Taking the king's hand, she dragged him away from the others and brought him to her room, away from prying eyes. She locked the door.

"I don't know about this, Erza. It's in the middle of the day. We should wait until nightfall." With one swift motion, she stomped on his feet.

"You're an idiot."

"So I've been told." A bit puzzled why his lovely captain would bring him in her chambers, he decided to tease her, since she did set herself up for it. Jellal walked casually towards her bed and sat by the edge, reaching for the buttons of his shirt. "What the hell are you doing, Jellal!" Feigning innocence, he smiled at her and explained in a carefree manner, "Did you not bring me to the seclusion of your quarters to draw me...nude?" Pondering upon it, the captain smirked and crossed her hands. Two can play that game. "Sure. I shall give you a few minutes to prepare." Dumbfounded, he bolted from the bed and reached his hands for her. "Are you being serious?" That lighthearted smiled on her lips suggested that she was simply playing along with him. Imagine that. His teasing backed fired on his face.

"But I did want to ask your opinion about this." She flapped the folded drawing in her hands. "I thought I mouthed out my opinion about it but I will reiterate. The man in your drawing is quite handsome. That is some inspiration you have there."

"I'll let my muse know what you said." He steals the paper from her person and smoothed it out to inspect the work of art again. "It's missing a key factor, though. A crucial part of this drawing is missing." Looking it over once more, she scanned her work.

"Your crown?"

"No…"

"Your scepter?"

"No, captain."

"Is it the hair? Is it the color? I didn't color it." The reigning monarch of Edolas sighed and chuckled lightly.

"Look closely. I'll give you a hint. It's a person."

"Sugar Boy?" He slid his fingers below her chin and gazed at her with adoration.

"You. You Erza. So finish it. Complete your drawing." The stone face Captain pulled away from him and cleared her throat. "Fine, I will." Although the exterior mask she wore was expressionless, she was truly touched by his words. The drawing was missing her therefore it was incomplete. Those were his words. Words meant nothing to her usually but his…she held onto them. Tightly.

_This man..._

Standing on her tip toes, she quickly kissed his cheek in gratitude and then pointed at the door. "Now get out of my room." He wagged his fingers, making a "tsk tsk tsk" sound between his teeth. "I bet you have more sketches of me." Bypassing the tepid redhead, Jellal withdrew a selection of notepads that were carefully hidden in her small bookcase. "Oh, I was right."

She jumped on him. "No, those aren't finished!"

…

**Thanks for reading! As usual, I look forward to your comments and review. Have a nice day.**


	33. Simple Misunderstandings

**Long time no see. (err...read)**

…

Erza's eyes lingered on her King's face, zoning out the animated and somewhat one-sided conversation he was having with her. It wasn't that she found him dull. In fact, she was captivated with his words…perhaps. No, what caught her attention was the tiny little bug fluttering its way towards his right cheek. Chestnut eyes trailed along the small insect's path as it readied itself to feast on Jellal's royal blood. Now, she doesn't quite understand how the little thing could remain undetected by him but it somehow flies under his radar. No one could blame her if she were to swat the little bugger away from him, right?

She propped her elbow on the stack of papers that covered the entirety of his desk and lightly patted his cheek. As a result, he flinched, closing his eyes for a brief moment. Instinctively, his head recoiled backwards, in fear of getting slapped by her. It has happened before, out of nowhere mind you. However, what should have been the stinging sensation of her sharp claws was the feeling of her gloved hands smoothing out the surface of his skin, like a person fondly caressing the face of their lover. This was different from any wallop she had given him.

Peeking one eye open, her face was close to his. The passive exterior she readily wore in public was replaced with shock. "There was…" She sheepishly turned her neck to the side. "…never mind." Mopping his cheek with her thumb, she wiped away all evidence of the murder and leaned back against her chair. Telling him about the pest normally wouldn't be a concern but that would only tip him off that she wasn't paying attention to him. He had a small fit about that before.

She clicked her tongue, releasing a rather annoyed "tsk". It wasn't her fault she was sidetracked. Whether the source of the distraction was a bug near his face or his actual face, how could she be blamed for her preoccupation? Presently, her trembling hands wanted to slap him.

Needing to lift the awkwardness that settled between them, Erza noted that the King had missed something in one of the documents he worked on. "Your signature is missing." Saying his thanks, he peered closely at her face and wondered what was her deal. She seemed almost flustered.

_Wait._ A thought clicked on his head. Was she about to kiss him? Affectionate acts from her were incredibly more rare than a blue moon but maybe just this once she wanted to initiate it and he ruined it!

"Erza, I…" Like a hit to the stomach, the door of his office swung open, revealing two frazzled soldiers.

"Captain Knightwalker, there is an incident at the stables. Please come quick." She cocked her head to the side and stood up. "What did you idiots do this time?" Relief flooded her. "We shall continue later, Your Majesty." As a formality around her soldiers, she bowed her head to the King and walked out the door. The soldiers copied her. "A thousand pardons, milord, for interrupting your discussion."

"Worry not. See to it that the incident is resolved." They saluted and hastily left for the stables.

Later that day, Jellal's head was wracked with regret. Wishing to clear his head, he relocated to the Gardens, hoping that the steady sound of the fountain and the rustling of trees beneath the spring wind would grant him solace but alas his mind was caught in a blaze of fire. How could he destroy such a momentous event? All she wanted to do was to kiss him. _I am sorry my beloved._

"Jellal, there you are." Ultear finally tracked down the elusive king and sat next to him on the wooden bench. "The preparations are almost complete…why is your face the look of a man who just lost something quite dear to him?" His face was now buried in his hands. "She wanted to kiss me!" His friend gasped and grabbed his shoulder. "Who? Give me the details."

When Erza's name fell from his lips, Ultear's shoulder sunk down in disappointment. "So why does that cause you anguish?"

"I turned her away! Her hand was on my cheek, stroking it ever so tenderly."

Ultear smiled in satisfaction. The ongoing drama between the redheaded Captain and the King of Edolas are better than her soaps and she loved them for it. "Well. Why did you shy away from her?" Jellal slapped his hands on his lap. "In my defense, I believed she was about to hit me. It's not uncommon."

She crossed her legs and thought of an idea that could return him to the Captain's good graces. "That does sound like a problem but it could easily be rectified by a flattering gift a woman of her standards would enjoy. Then, explain to her that you made a grave error and give her permission to invade your lips at any moment of her choosing." His ears perked up.

"The gift part. She isn't like you, Ultear."

"I beg your pardon, Sir." He chuckled. "You're right. It should lessen the blow. Very well. I will take you up on your advice. Thank you." She lowered head for a bow, mimicking the courteous formality servants and soldiers alike displayed to their King. "I am happy to serve you, Sir." Jellal tilted his head. "Will you be using "Sir" to refer to me now?"

"It's much shorter than your name." Under his breath, he mumbled, "Great."

"Sometimes Erza uses "Sir" to mock me." A small laugh managed to worm its way out of his friend.

"Aren't you two such a loving couple?" For a moment, he thought she was being serious. "Really?" However, it soon dawned on him that she was being sarcastic. "Wait. Was that sarcasm?"

"Perish the thought. Anyways, visit Byro. He wishes to speak to you about the arrangements." He nodded. But first, he must search a gift for his Captain.

…

After careful deliberations, he finally procured the perfect gift and stopped by in the courtyard. "Sugar Boy." Jellal approached the blonde Captain who was making a wooden statue of Hughes. Without uttering anything, Sugar Boy spouted the information he needed. "Most likely, Erza is in your office." He always knew Erza's whereabouts for some reason. "Thank you, Sugar Boy." The king stared at the motionless Hughes and his pose wasn't comfortable.

"Hmmmm…Hughes, do not to move. Do not even breathe!"

"Okay, Sugar Boy!"

Sugar Boy raised his hands in defeat. "We have to start over again."

"I'll leave you to it, Captain Sugar Boy." Jellal bid him a short farewell and raced to his office.

Knightwalker jumped back when the door almost slammed her face. "Jellal, I was about to look for you." She noticed his dazed expression and the long metallic black box he was carrying.

"For you…" He handed her the peculiar container.

She unbuckled the lock, exposing a set of polished knives to the cool air of the room. "Oh, I needed new knifes. I keep misplacing my old ones because of..." She paused."Not important." She flashed him a suspicious look. She appreciated useful gifts but this was unexpected. "This morning, Erza…" He stumbled around himself. "I am sorry. I was just scared and uhh…I didn't know until…I made a fool of myself." She was taken aback by his admission. He has a phobia of bugs? Perhaps his fear was derived from an allergic reaction to certain kinds of critters. Why hasn't she taken that to account? Those things are worst than assassins if that was the case. She gritted her teeth.

"No apologies or gifts are necessary, Jellal. I will not hesitate next time. I just didn't want to interrupt." He shook his head. "Interrupt away, Captain. I absolutely do not mind." He beamed. "I am grateful you brought this up, Jellal"

The king took a short step to his chair and was doubly elated at the result of their conversation. Nothing could sour his mood. "Oh, Byro had these for you." The mountain of documents to be reviewed piled up again. "I'll help you sort through them."

…

_The Next Day…_

Ultear met up with the King and he had a spring in his step. "You seem more spirited than yesterday, Jellal. I assume everything went well with her." He gave her a thumbs up. "Indeed."

"Your next problem is to discern a slap from a kiss." The King paled. "She must have a tell. Study her closely at all times, I suppose." He smiled at her sound recommendation.

"Oh before you leave." His arms grew heavier, like she had shackled a ball and chain onto his wrists. A stack of documents and folders had encumbered and prevented him from fleeing. "From Byro. Have fun." Suddenly, the spring in his step broke. "Thank you." He said but there was no gratitude in his tone. He trudged onwards and left for the confines of his office.

Ultear sauntered towards the main entrance of the castle where she discovered a dozen burly men with tools on their backs that could only be attributed to what looked like a flamethrower. Some men had tattoos on their arms. Some had scars on their faces, arms, legs...tongue. Bottom line was, they all had the visage of men who often stayed at the jailhouse more than their actually houses. Among the group, she chanced upon the bright red hair of a certain royal captain. She managed to capture Knightwalker's attention. "Erza, who are these men and what are they all holding?"

"They are exterminators, of the insect variety." There was no humor in her voice. "His Majesty is frightened of insects and he might also be allergic to them. I cannot eliminate all stressful stimuli from his living environment but I can do this. This I can accomplish." Ultear pointed to the device strapped on their backs that she could only surmise was their bug spray. "I'm not an expert but those do not look like the customary bug exterminating equipment. These men also do not match ordinary bug exterminators."

"Today, they're bug exterminators." Knightwalker responded in a succinct manner.

Ultear nervously giggled. _Today? What are they usually? _

"I checked them and their equipment. They spray chemicals that can destroy those tiny assassins and then some. I will not put Jellal in risk." Ultear's lips broadened. "You sure are quite doting at times."

"Not doting. I am just cautious. One of those flying creatures tried to dine on him like he was some sort of 5-star restaurant. I was so careless. What if he had a reaction? I deserve to be hit for my cavalier attitude." Certainly, Ultear wasn't going to take a jab at the Captain that's for sure. This might sound crazy but having four limbs was more desirable to her.

"You're overreacting, Captain Knightwalker. Just a tad though." That was a lie. She scratched her head. Although Knightwalker always had this overprotective nature when the King was involved, where did this bug thing originated from? "Was Jellal attacked by a bug recently?" Erza nodded. "Yesterday. It landed on his cheek. I killed it before it did any damage."

Ultear tried to muffle her mouth, in fear of letting out her guffaw. Could this be related to the incident Jellal was fretting about yesterday? "Oh, there was a bug? You didn't want to…kiss him?" Knightwalker arched her brow. "No. How did you reach that conclusion?" Ultear waved both her hands and told the Captain to disregard what she had said.

"Sure. If you say so."

There was a sound of glass shattering. "Dammit, what are those fools doing?" The redhead patted the other woman on the back. "Keep your wits about you, Ultear." She chased after the bug exterminators roaming the Royal Grounds.

The raven-haired woman could hear Erza yelling, "You all will pay with your limbs, should you allow those assassins to puncture your King's skin. Burn them all." She massaged her temples. If overboard wasn't Knightwalker's middle name, it should be from now on. All Erza wanted was to swat away a bug but Jellal somehow twisted it to fit his delusion. By some means, Knightwalker was convinced His Majesty was fearful and/or allergic to said bugs. In the end, those two simply misunderstood each other and now...

Screams from the maids saturated the hallways.

What lovable dorks.

It will be quite rowdy in the castle today, all because of a simple misunderstanding.

...

**Hey guys! Thanks for reading. Whenever you have the time, tell me what you think! Have a nice day!**

**Now below this will be my ranting about the Anime/Manga Fairy Tail so if you are not caught up with one or the other, please stop reading because there will be spoilers. Thank you. (but really, if you're a fan of Fairy Tail, why aren't you caught up with at least the manga? HUH? Do we need to have a chat?)**

**Side note: Thank god Anime Fairy Tail finished the filler episodes. Not that they're not amusing because Kemo-Kemo's episodes had some feels and Fairy Tail of the Dead Meeeeen was just so cringeworthy but at same, I couldn't stop watching. Erza turning into Ichiya...oh god. And Laxus...GOD that episode killed me. Cannot...unsee!**

**With that awful note, ****I just want to watch the Tartaros Arc. Is that so much to ask for?**

**Over by the manga side, was anybody surprised Gray turned evil? I was not. I was like "Surprise, surprise." Natsu needs to just go ahead and one-shot that ice boy and his Avatar buddies. I know he can. (lol...maybe)**

**And where do you think Erza went? With Jellal and his guild perhaps? That may be wishful thinking on my part. She's most likely with Mermaind Heel, since she is buddies with Milliana and Kagura. (Speaking of Kagura, she might be making a cameo in Everyday Lives. I just had a funny idea.) Cross your fingers those two (Jellal and Erza, I mean) had some kind of development. **

**Anyways, you must be really bored if you read through my ranting. Thanks for reading. :D**


	34. Role-play

**I was writing this so late in the night. Forgive any errors. I will fix them…soon.**

…

Their eyes clashed against each other, unrelenting, waiting for the other to finish their piece so they could move in for a counter. Which one will succumb to the other one's demand? "I just need you to sign the paper, Your Majesty." Knightwalker's acidic tone stung him. Her use of his title was frigid and he shivered as if they were standing in a middle of a blizzard without any form of protection from the blade like winds and harsh snow. "And as I explained to you, Captain Knightwalker, I cannot sign your document in good faith." He emphasized her name.

She growled, an animalistic sound that both frightened and aroused him. "Why not? I have stated and described the project at hand. Clearly, I have given you enough. What more could you possibly need?" The king shook his head. "Captain, the title of your project is and I quote, 'The Human Catapult.'" Knightwalker threw him a look that said "What's wrong with that?"

"I gave you the benefit of the doubt and deliberately read through each and every lines, believing it will contain some semblance of sanity and cohesion. As a whole, I understood every sentence and every paragraph so I will give you a point in cohesion. However, your proposal is completely insane!" He flipped through ten pages of her essay and then threw it at her lap, dismissing it completely. She gestured for him to elaborate with her hand.

"You would sacrifice people to supply your contraption?"

"I do not see the problem." She uttered woodenly.

"You want to lob living, breathing humans from a catapult!"

"So I'll kill them. Problem solved." She suggested, which earned her a murderous glare she quite enjoy on him.

This was not the first time his redheaded captain had requested an appeal for a project of this magnitude. All her projects had interesting names like, "The Neck Twisting Apparatus;" "Face dissolver;" and how could he forget "The Human Meat Shield." Could you imagine what those entailed? Let's not overlook the fact of just how serious she was about each and every line in her essays. They were formal, with a beginning, middle and end, with side-notes, bullet points, blueprints, and highlighted words and sentences. The most baffling part was that this wasn't some kind of serpentine prank to throw him off his game. She was deadly sincere about all this. As smart and reasonable of a woman she was, from time to time, Jellal was reminded that his dear captain had a bit of loose screws here and there.

Judging from the concerned crease on his forehead, Erza had a feeling her proposal will be rejected once again. "So, no, Jellal?"

"I need not repeat myself." He spoke harshly, not breaking character. Another small booklet was placed on his desk. On the cover page, "Firestarter" was written down. Taking notice of the displeasure in his gaze, she urged him to reconsider. "I worked hard on it." In a curtly manner, he walked towards her seat and slammed the palms of his hand against the back of her chair, sending Erza tumbling down on the floor. "Get out, wench. Your face is bothering me."

Knightwalker seemed rather touched by his uncharacteristic display of temper. "Fair enough, Your Majesty." She dusted off her clothes like nothing happened and left the booklets on his desk, announcing that she'll leave them there; in the off chance he'll change his decision later on. Knightwalker shifted her dark eyes to the woman who remained quiet throughout their heated performance. "And congratulations, Ultear, for replacing Byro." Ultear nervously laughed "Thank you, Captain Knightwalker?"

"Excuse me but I must attend to my duties." The tone she relayed to the newly appointed Chief of Staff changed to solemnness. After the redhead exited the office, Jellal nonchalantly returned to his chair and began reviewing the document Erza left for him. Ultear moved her mouth for a question but she couldn't locate her tongue. Confusion was setting in until finally, curiosity bested her. "What was that?"

Jellal raised his voiced. "What was what?" An apology automatically came out of him when he saw his friend flinch. "I'm sorry, Ultear. This is all Erza's fault. I'm sucked into this role a bit too much." A mirthful dimple replaced the frown on his face. "We're doing this role-playing game where each of us give the other a different personality than the one we have right now. We have this week trial run to test the waters." He slid open his desk drawer and showed Ultear a binder full of notes about the direction he should take his character on. "I believe I'm doing well but I also do not wish to mistreat Erza like this anymore. I feel so…dirty." That was the least of his worries. "Jellal, should we be concerned that Captain Knightwalker seemed rather fond of this type of behavior from you." She quickly skimmed the contents of the binder and one name stuck out.

"Oh dear. She said that book was rubbish. That lying—" Ultear's eye bulged out when she was reading some of the example lines she created for the king to say. "I cannot picture her reading this kind of…oh wait." Memories of an interaction with the Captain a couple weeks ago came into mind. "She did mention it was rubbish and how badly written the story and characters were. That was the clue."

He interrupted her when he inquired about the novel she was talking about. "Oh well, it's…" She cleared her throat. "It's a novel…" She paused. "…of a sort. I can't believe there's a table of contents here." She muttered to herself. "What she wrote here is a meticulous analysis of the main character, Magnus Coine. He is despicable, arrogant, self-centered and he treats people like objects. I mean poor Sheila." To cover her bases, she explained that Sheila is the love interest of Coine, to which, mind you, Jellal never asked for. "What happened to them in the third book is just complete and utter madness." She gasped. "Wait, if you two are role-playing, have her play as the cute, bubbly Sheila. Quite the contrast from Knightwalker, I would say. The Captain would hate it but she would have to adhere to rules of the game, no? If she agrees, I want to watch you two." Replaying that in her head, Ultear realized that sounded weird.

He suddenly stopped her. "Ultear?"

"Hmmm?"

"You are so passionate about this book." Her head rolled back in laughter. "No, it's absolutely stupid. The Captain is right. It's rubbish but it's a fun distraction." Jellal thought about it. Not about the book but its characters. He would love to see a cheerful Erza but all he could picture was her laughing in a monotone fashion while rolling her eyes indignantly. Then, his mind began to wander. Why would she have him act like this Magnus person? Why not a doctor so he could give her a thorough check-up or a masseuse? This role-playing idea of his was backfiring.

Negative thoughts began to swim in his head. "Wait…is she bored of me? Is that why she has me portraying this Magnus creep instead of normal role like a dentist so I can carry out a routine check-up of her mouth." His friend was flabbergasted. "I said the last part out loud, didn't I?" She hissed. "Yes, you did. Jellal, you're over thinking this. She wouldn't be bored of you. You know her more than anyone here but if you're really keen on finding out, just discuss this with her."

He nodded his head. "That is sage advice. You should be our counselor instead of Laxus." She declined and added that the castle's only royal counselor was doing a fine job, albeit a grimace did reveal itself by the end of her sentence.

"Your Majesty?" An abrupt knock thumped against the door frame of Jellal's office. When it opened, Sugar Boy was on the other side, wearing the most placid face the King had ever seen.

"Your Majesty, did you approve of Erza's Human Catapult project?"

"No, Sugar Boy. Why?"

Sugar Boy provided a succinct reply. "Hmmmm…no reason."

Anxious, olive eyes stared at the blonde captain. "Sugar Boy, Erza is in the courtyard preparing the catapult, isn't she?" There was a quiver in the king's voice. Sugar Boy crossed his hands, looking unperturbed as always. "Your words, Your Majesty. I told you nothing."

A realization struck him." Is that how it is?" Gritting his teeth, Jellal rushed out the room.

As if nothing happened, Sugar Boy patted Ultear on the shoulder and welcomed her to the team. "Hmmm, congratulations, Lady Ultear. Byro would be proud to have you as his successor if he were still with us. May he rest in peace." Dumbfounded, Ultear needed to correct him for her own sake. "Captain Sugar Boy, Lord Byro didn't die. He retired." Shock stained the tall Captain's visage.

"Oh dear. I've been telling everybody he died." Finding nothing to say to him, Ultear took his arm and urged him to follow after the King. "We should go as well, Captain Sugar Boy, before a war ignites."

Over by the courtyard, a gathering of soldiers circled around the gigantic mechanism capable of toppling over walls like it was made out of paper. The catapult hadn't been in used in years but with some engineering ingenuity, Captain Knightwalker and her men managed to repair it. "This is going to be amazing, Captain E!" Hughes, propped up inside the bucket of the catapult, readied himself to be launched. "Sure, Hughes. Ready it up, boys."

"Captain Knightwalker!" A deafening shout that formed her name was the only command needed to cease all forms action. The soldiers knew whose voice that belonged to. She clicked her tongue. The king caught on earlier than she would hope. Still, this was a success in her opinion.

From up top his perch, Hughes whined and glared at Sugar Boy. "You're a tattletale, Sugar Boy!"

Jellal glanced up and ordered Hughes to get down. "Knightwalker, in my office…Now! You are suspended until further notice." The tone of the young monarch was deep and humorless. Erza eerily smiled and accepted the terms. "Hughes, I will speak to you later." Most of the troops backed away when their unusually outraged King switched his attention to them. "I want this thing out of my sight by the time I return here. All of those who are involved in Knightwalker's little misadventure will be reprimanded. I want everyone here to report in the mess hall at nineteen hundred hours. Is that clear?"

A symphony of "Yes, sir!" filled the serene courtyard.

"Knightwalker, why are you still here? I said go to my office!" Raising his voice at Erza only caused her smile to broaden. "At once, sir."

…

The door slammed shut. Jellal pointed at the chair in front of his desk, motioning for her to have a seat. When she remained upright, he repeated himself. "Sit. Down." His voice was laced with a menacing edge, which only further stirred the elation brewing within her. He sat across from her, wearing a glare that was specifically for the Royal captain of Edolas. "Captain Knightwalker…" He said with a harsh growl.

"So how was I?" The tone surrounding his voice altered to the genial manner he typically spoke with. A small smile visited her thin lips. "Your performance was stimulating." Incredulity appeared on his face. "I find it incredibly odd that my yelling elicits…excitement from you. I gave you a fake suspension. You still want that?"

"I should be punished for my insubordination. You can also lock me up in the dungeons." She suggested.

"Okay, first of all, I trust you Erza so I knew you weren't planning on firing that catapult. You told Sugar Boy and he indirectly warned me. Besides, that launch would certainly kill Hughes."

She emitted a low hum.

"Right, Captain?"

"Right. Killing Hughes. Off the table."

"Second of all, can we discuss how incorrectly you're going on about this?" Knightwalker crossed her arms and threw him a defiant look. "This role-playing shenanigans was your idea, Your Majesty." It took him a few seconds to reply. "Yes, I know but the persona you gave me is all wrong. I should start this week and present you an example of a proper role-playing persona." An insulted expression marred her facade.

"I won fair and square, King."

"I deserve a rematch, Captain." The two flexed their hands, like duelists preparing to brandish their weapons. Their hands zoomed towards each other, with their fists slamming hastily on the palm of their hands.

"Dammit…" The Edolas King cried out in defeat. Knightwalker smirked. "Rock beats scissors. You will continue with the Magnus persona. I gave you an opportunity today and you were splendid. See to it that you catch me unaware next time." Motionlessly, his shoulders drooped down. "But why do you have me playing as an ireful monarch with a strange fascination with fire and animal tranquilizer. His favorite word is wench according to your notes. I am not too eager in using that distasteful term to address you." Briefly averting his gaze, she coughed and vaguely explained her reason. "Why not? You, Jellal, should force your authority more often. Get mad. Engross yourself in your role. It's invigorating."

_For me or for you?_ Were the thoughts swimming in his mind? "Plus, I do not want our fair king to be emotionally stunted."

"Ah now it all makes sense. You do care." Jellal placed his hand on top of hers.

"Jellal, we can conclude this game of ours. I have no desire to role-play in the first place but you seem genuinely drawn to it so I thought I should humor you. I mean, I like you just the way—" She trailed on, choking on her saliva.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you very well, Erza."

"I lik…" She mumbled the rest. "I'm sorry, what?" She immediately donned her customary scowl. He beamed at her admission. "No, we should continue. That's why this week trial period exists." His mood started to pick up. "I have a perfect character for you. You know Sheila, from that book you're reading." Steeling herself, Knightwalker took a deep breath and fidgeted in her seat. "Have you been following me?" It was a rare occurrence for Erza to show her vulnerable side but there it was. "I can't read. I only read picture books. Whoever told you, otherwise, is a goddamn liar!" The hostility in her voice would've shaken a typical person but not the king.

"So defensive. Hey, I did your Magnus. I need to see Bubbly Erza. Please?" If looks could kill, Jellal would be dead thrice over. "You did play a passable Magnus. It was a nice touch up when you pushed me off the chair earlier. You truly studied my notes." She sighed, reluctantly conceding to his demands. "I wasn't worried about what role you would hand out to me because I thought you'd just have me play something normal, like a nurse or a masseuse." He snapped his fingers. "I was going for that but Ultear had a better idea." Knightwalker will break every bone in that woman's body.

Groaning out loud, Erza slammed her head against table. He did play Magnus decent enough. "Just for a day? Starting…now!"

"No tomorrow."

"Starting tomorrow, then." He hugged her.

Then, he pulled away and whispered in her ear. "I want you to report to my chambers, two hours from now." He raised his volume. "If you're late, I will not be responsible for my actions."

"Should I bring snacks?" Jellal broke his Magnus character when he answered with a "Yes, please."

"Bring those books too." He added.

"What books?" She gulped. She had hoped he wouldn't bring it up again. "Your books. Erza, we have some studying to do."

...

**Lol a couple of people were mentioning that the last chapter was funny and I'm glad some people understand the humor I apply in this story. **

**Oh btw, this is just something I've been curious about. How are you guys finding this fic? Is it through the filters because for me, that's the only way I can see my story be on the first page? It's not like I post Everyday Lives anywhere else. This is a niche couple since they're technically a crack couple (well imo anyways.) considering they have never been established in the canon. But there is dat Jerza (which is why some people like Mystwalker?) Speaking of them, I'm really curious about their development. Mashima has been subtly teasing about them since in recent chapters, it seems Erza was hanging with Jellal and his club after all during the one year skip."**

**Anyways, it's not really that important but it's something I've been meaning to ask. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll have another one up in…ummm…I don't want to lie. I don't know but know I haven't forgotten this story. Have a nice day!**


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